Long Live the King
by Rubens Lilium
Summary: AU. The Great Devourer is gone and the Serpentine have retreated back underground. Ninjago and its people are now on high alert for any traces of them. But only one Serpentine remains above, where he waits for death to claim his life. Yet someone else finds him...a strange story awaits to be told.
1. Prologue

**Disclaimer****: I do not own any of the original Ninjago: Masters of Spinjitzu characters, nor do I own the original settings.**

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Long Live the King

_Do not for ever with thy vailed lids_  
_Seek for thy noble father in the dust:_  
_Thou know'st 'tis common; all that lives must die,_  
_Passing through nature to eternity._

_Hamlet — William Shakespeare_

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**Prologue**** — "Reward" **

I always used to wonder: if I had the chance to rewrite a mistake, would things change for the better or would it be worse?

In time that one question quickly became real, and the answer I got wasn't what I wanted at all. But sometimes the most difficult questions are the ones with answers no one wants to hear.

The answer to my question couldn't have been bestowed to me in a more deadly obvious way…

"**We **should have been the ones to ruled the Surface! NOT YOU!"

The wrath that dripped so venomously from my words, and the hatred beating vehemently in my chest as I shouted at the old man with a beaming smile of absolute triumph. Yet he only stared at me with a disapproving grimace. He knew what I had done better than I did at that moment.

If I had known then what I do now — what Skales and Wu had both forewarned me of — I would have thrown that plan to the sharks.

…No. That's not true. Even knowing, I wouldn't have stopped. I'd have gone through until my bitter end. There was a small ounce of hope I clung to, praying they were wrong about the Devourer. Warnings from my doubt were whispered to me numerous times, and not just from my own head but from legends and history. The same outcome was there, in different forms and words.

I refused to believe, refused to even _consider_ the chance that I was wrong. My anger consumed my mind, and I was slowly drowning in my vendetta. But I never realized I was. I had deceived, fought, manipulated and cheated my way to power. Those before me were merely stepping stones.

All these things were done with a smile on my face. But I believed they would have been worth it in the end. Those who seek good must commit malevolence sometimes, don't they? The closer I grew to my goal, the more I told myself I was doing the right thing; for myself _and_ Serpentine alike.

It was only when I finally achieved my "goal" I realized what I had done…

The city of Ouroboros started to crumble. Through the splitting floor I looked into the eyes of the horror I had awakened. Terror shot through me, and inside awakened my own true self. I tore away from its eyes and tried to escape.

The old man, Wu, forced me to stay. I can't remember his words exactly, but I know it was along the lines of:

"Stay to see what you have awakened!"

I fought him back, empowered by my desperate desire to escape. Each time I pushed or shoved him off, Wu came right back. He finally had me pinned when he wrapped his arm over my neck and held me in place. Shrieking like a frightened child was the only thing within my power.

The floor shattered when it shot up from beneath. Further and further it climbed for the sky, an endless, unfurling mass of evil and destruction. When it stopped, it looked down at Wu and I; our fear left us immobile. There was no sign of recognition as the Great Devourer looked at me.

That feral, hungry grimace still haunts my dreams.

The nightmare went on — one moment the beast was staring at us, and then the next it came at us. And we were swallowed by complete darkness. All I could hear were screams. At first I thought the Devourer had eaten the Ninja after us. That thought was momentarily comforting, at least more than one was going down with me. But I quickly realized the screams were my own.

If someone was to ask me, how terrified was I of being eaten alive? I would say, terror couldn't describe how I felt. I believe…petrified is the better word. It's beyond terrified, if I'm correct.

Ironically, we Anacondrai were the only species capable of swallowing our prey whole. I never imagined how frightening of an experience it was.

Another word to describe how I felt was hopeless. Absolutely hopeless. There was little to nothing I could do to escape that tunnel of an esophagus, but I still tried, nonetheless. The only thing I could think of was to try to bury my claws into the flesh so I could stop sliding and attempt my long climb up the throat, or — at the very least — choke the monster to death.

But the saliva was too thick. It carried me downwards. The esophagus was wide, just a slippery hole to death.

I couldn't think, couldn't breathe. All I could do was wait, as I screamed my way all the way down to the bottom. I plummeted all the way down into the bottomless lake of a stomach. The acid burned all over my skin; my fear morphed into hysteria at this point. I thought the throat was terrifying enough, but this was much worse. Having poor swimming skills and no legs made it extremely difficult to keep myself aloft.

I neither saw nor heard any signs of Wu in there with me. I assumed he was either lost somewhere in the esophagus or melted straight away the moment he landed in the acid. To my knowledge, I was alone. Left to burn or drown to death, whichever killed me faster.

Have you ever had your life flash right before your eyes and you see all the good and bad things that happened to you, and suddenly this heaviness weighs on you? It hit me hard, as if someone dropped a bolder in my flailing arms to lift. I saw my life simply fleeting before me. I had to briefly relive all the terrible things that happened to me. The worst was seeing through my years in that forsaken tomb.

I saw them, I saw them all again. Those starved looks, their dripping mouths…I was watching them tear each other apart a second time. Just like before I was helpless to stop it. They attacked whoever they saw first, whether it was a close friend or even a brother or sister. There was no emotion, only the desperate need to end the pang of hunger. Countless Anacondrai toppled over another, all wrestling to pin down the other to get the advantage. They bit, clawed and hissed at their fellow prey. Blood seeped from gashes, or mixed with the saliva streaming from their mouths.

Their screams…_their_ _screams!_

Then the flashes left the tomb, but I was forced to relive my humiliation of defeat: from unlocking the Venomari tomb, becoming king and uniting the tribes, and then to my final moment with the Great Devourer.

The weight grew heavier. All that hard work, all that devotion…all for what? Only to be swallowed whole by a deadly monster and die alone in its belly. How pathetic. And who would remember me? Skales, after he warned me to not rely so much on legends? The Ninja, who did everything in their power to stop me? The other Serpentine, whose hopes of obtaining the Surface were crushed?

The humans certainly wouldn't, nor would they have cared to. The wars had given them terrible impressions of Serpentine. We were nothing but animals in their eyes. There was no place for us in their hearts, no good things said about us in their words.

So who was left?

No one.

No one would remember dear old Pythor P. Chumsworth.

So I had no other choice but to just, simply, sink to the bottom…

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Sorry, guys. That's all I'm posting for now. I've still got one I need to finish up, but this idea has just been wracking in my brain for way too long and I had to get it out of my system some way. But I promise as soon as I've finished with my first story, I'll get right on this one.

So tell me if you like it or don't like it. Maybe even shoot me some ideas if you'd like ;)


	2. Chapter One

**Disclaimer****: I do not own any of the original "Ninjago: Masters of Spintizu" characters, nor do I own the original settings. I only own Katherine, Beck and Nikkei.**

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**One ****— "Rain"**

_I…I have to…get out…_

Pythor's body felt as heavy as lead. He put an arm against the side of a building so he wouldn't fall over as he slithered through a dark alley at a snail's pace.

_I have to…get out._

Pain blocked out all his other senses but he stayed focused on the path before him. His head echoed with sounds of the ocean and spun the world 'round and around, sickening his stomach with the feeling to vomit. But he still went on, his will dragging his body.

_I must escape…before they find me._

At first, Pythor swore he was dreaming. He could only recall darkness as he sank in the acid of the Great Devourer's stomach, but then he started hearing voices. He opened his eyes, hoping and fearing to see the familiar faces of his Anacondrai brethren and _him_. But, to his relief and dismay, Pythor still saw just darkness. It took a few moments of his vision clearing for him to realize he was looking up at a night sky.

He also realized it was pouring raining; the drops soaked his scales to the bone.

Pythor wasn't sure where he woke up at, but it was isolated. Dark, cold, and isolated. He heaved himself up and headed for the only exit he saw, thinking the same thing over and over again:

_I have…to get out…I have to get out…of the city. B-Before they…they find me._

He wasn't sure where this alley way was leading him, but he figured anywhere was better than here. As long as it took him out of the city, that was all he asked.

_I can't…can't let them find me. If they do, I'll…_

Pythor didn't want to imagine. He just needed to keep moving. He picked up his pace, biting back the agonizing pain coursing through his muscles. He stared at nothing else but the glowing light before him.

He felt a constant stabbing across the side of his torso. He wrapped his arm over it, as if trying to hold the burning pain in his very grip. Pythor noticed the rain water was slipping rather thickly down his arm, and the stabbing was growing more and more. He had to fight the temptation to look.

"It's just a bruise." He told himself, his voice straining. "It's just a bruise."

The world swayed back and forth, the light beginning to blur. Pythor's body felt heavier, his vision clouding. He stopped without realizing, leaning against the brick wall. His head was buzzing and felt aloft.

"Damn…" the Anacondrai cringed. His gaze softened on the opened light. Regretfully, he looked away, unable to look at the pool of hope any longer. His body felt even heavier.

Pythor slid down the wall, still clutching at his side. His breath smoked in the chilly air, and the rain pelted down at him. He looked up, letting the back of his head rest against the wall, the rain sliding and gliding down his scales. He found the raindrops comforting, in a strange way. Their touch was gentle, peaceful; like a caress of a dear loved one.

But the rain couldn't stop a pit from opening in his stomach.

"So…this is where it ends." Pythor said aloud, never taking his eyes off the night sky. "Instead of burning into nothing inside the Devourer, I'm to die in an alley like a filthy dog." He surprisingly had the strength to chuckle, wincing at the pangs of pain it brought.

"The humiliation never ends."

It would have been easier for everyone to forget about him, to erase his existence entirely. Dying here in this alley was humiliation in its truest form. People would eventually find him, maybe put his corpse on display in a history museum somewhere as "The Serpentine Who Almost Destroyed Everything", or perhaps they would toss him back in the desert as a feast for the vultures.

They would think of something; at least Pythor wouldn't be alive to know.

The thought made his heart begin to pound. He swallowed and pressed his lips into a firm line. His hands started to tremble. He searched for a positive thing inside the situation, something to uplift his worry even just an inch.

It took a minute, but he finally thought of one. Pythor half grinned and he whispered in the rain:

"At least…no one can say I didn't try."

* * *

Katherine could tell, by the harsh pounding on top of her yellow umbrella, the rain was getting heavier. She huddled her head deeper into her thick, brown cotton jacket and adjusted her long red scarf to cover her lips and her nose, the skin on them both chapped by the cold air.

The waves in her black hair were frizzing, and she was glad to think to wear it in a high pony tail.

She felt every muscle in her hands and arms aching, even up in her shoulders. Today had _certainly_ been a day. This early afternoon she was getting ready for work when a heart stopping siren started out of nowhere from outside, causing Katherine to nearly leap out of her skin. Next thing she knew, NGTV was calling for an emergency evacuation on both her television and radio stations.

She shut off the radio. The anchorman spoke frantically, despite trying his best to keep a calm composure. He stood amidst what seemed to be the center of Ninjago City. It was difficult to hear what he was saying as terrified screams flooded her speakers, but there was a name she heard distinctly — _"Serpentine."_

Although she rarely ever watched NGTV (because they always had boring or depressing things to drone on about) she always paid close attention at the mere mention of the Serpentine. All the news stations in Ninjago reported all the actions they made, explaining thoroughly what they did with the utmost seriousness, and then they all would suddenly smile — or some other kind of expression of relief — and go on and on about the Ninja defeating them.

Katherine was normally always relieved by the end as well. It was comforting knowing the Ninja had stopped whatever villainy the vile snakes were attempting.

But what she was watching on her tiny TV brought no reprieve. She couldn't believe it at first; _an internet prank the media is taking too seriously?_ She thought for a second. _Or-or maybe it's some kind of animation?_

She went through a mental list of other possibilities. Yet the longer she watched, the sooner she realized it was all real. And the anchorman ensured it:

"And I am here LIVE! Caught in the middle of an epic Ninja versus snake battle!" he said, terrified and excited at the same time. "People, I have never seen bravery like this before, but I fear the Ninja are **no match** for a beast this size!"

The monster on her TV roared so loud it felt like it was right outside her apartment. Its eyes glowed a bright violet, its scales a sickly gold-yellow color, fangs longer than a tree branch and sharp as a sword, a pointed spike at the base if its tail…and the monster was half the size of one of the towers the surrounded the city square.

Katherine's wide chocolate-brown eyes were glued to the screen. Her heart was pounding, her palms were sweating and her legs felt stiff as they trembled. She shrieked, startled by her phone ringing so suddenly.

"**WHERE** are you, Kat?" was the first thing she heard when she answered.

"Beck," Katherine could hear her fear in her voice, "I'm at home, are you and Nikkei —"

"You're still at home?!" Beck exclaimed. Kat had to pull her ear away from the phone as he shouted, "Are you not watching the news?! We need to evacuate NOW, Kat!"

Kat held the phone against her ear with her shoulder as she threw on the first pair of shoes she grabbed. "I'm evacuating right now. What about Nikkei?"

"She already called and told me where everyone's heading for safety. In the subway tunnels, hurry!"

Katherine ended the call and almost threw her phone somewhere off to the side. She grabbed her pet cat Minnie and got out of her apartment. Holding her cat close, she dashed down the metal steps, following the large crowd and clusters of people running down the street. The ground beneath her feet trembled, roars reverberating through the air. Minnie constantly whimpered meows and buried her face in Katherine's arm, her claws clinging to her clothes with an unbreakable hold.

Now Katherine's heart was pounding double time. Every minute she was frantically looking over her shoulder, expecting to see a giant snake heading right for them. The frantic crowd wasn't helping. Each time one of them pushed or shoved her, it almost scared Katherine out of her wits'.

Beck was standing outside the subway entry way. He ran and hugged her closely the moment he spotted her. He fretted over Katherine the way an older sibling would, asking if she was alright as he checked over her for any injuries.

Katherine assured him that she was fine. Then together they rushed into the tunnels. It was darker than she imagined it would have been. She held Minnie closer. People crowded closer into each other until they were all pressed against each other, a stranger touching another stranger.

Her heart was doing triple time. As if sensing her distress automatically, Beck wrapped his hand around her shoulders to keep her calm. His other hand acted as a shield waiting to push anyone away from Katherine.

"I _know_ the Serpentine caused all this." He growled begrudgingly. Katherine had seen the typical grimace on his face enough times to imagine it clearly in her mind. "Man, if I ever get my hands on one of those monsters, I _swear_ I'll —"

"Beck," Katherine whimpered, stopping him. As much as she concurred, she didn't want to hear things like that.

Beck didn't respond. Instead, he wrapped his arm tighter around her.

Rumbles from above steadily grew louder. Different scenarios played out in Katherine's mind: Of the snake burrowing its way underground with everyone packed into a giant food bowl for it to eat; of the whole roof caving in on top of them; of them being trapped under there for days on end; of the Serpentine finding them —

One terrifying thought after another. Her mind couldn't stop.

Then suddenly, just when she felt the crowd and the darkness grow thicker, a bright light cut through, followed by someone shouting:

"It's alright, everyone! It's safe!"

All eyes shot towards the direction, where they saw one of the great heroes of their city in his red outfit. He pushed back his mask. Kai's spiky brown hair spilled over his face. He smiled at the terrified and confused crowd.

The other three Ninja showed up, helping everyone out of the tunnels. Beck never dropped his arm from around Kat's shoulder; she never let go of Minnie.

When they walked out, their jaws dropped at the once beautiful city. The wreckage went as far as their eyes could see. From the tallest skyscraper to even the tiniest home, they were either broken, half gone, or smashed into debris. And there was a lime-green mucous-like liquid smeared over the entire city, giving off a pungent odor that almost made Katherine retch.

Beck gagged. He covered his mouth with his arm. "Be careful, Kat. Don't step in…in whatever this is."

They walked on, studying the broken buildings around them. Katherine felt her very heart sink into her stomach. Beck only mumbled bitter words at the Serpentine, and she found herself nodding silently in agreement. The black seed inside her heart flourished with thorn-covered vines. They wrapped over it until it was in a thick protective cocoon; an organ of thorns.

Katherine promised Beck she would return to help clean up and find whoever was stuck under the wreckage. She had to take Minnie home, as well as making sure she _still_ had a home to take her to. With worry in her step, she took the way to her apartment. When she turned the corner, she wanted to cheer out with absolute joy to see the apartment houses intact.

She took her key out of her pocket and went in. She flicked a switch to turn the lights on, but nothing happened. Katherine groaned. Great…. Once she got her cat something to eat, Katherine went and changed into suitable working clothes then finally headed out to help, as she promised.

She, Beck and Nikkei together aided in the search for any people stuck under the shattered remnants of buildings. It was easier with the help of one of the Ninja — she believed his name was Cole — using his incredible strength to lift the things they couldn't. Katherine was relieved that not many people were hurt.

As devastated as she was by the ruins of their city, she was glad it was only buildings that suffered from the climactic battle.

While they searched, the other Ninja, along with the police, went on a special search of their own…but no one would consider what they were doing a mere "search". They were all going on a massive hunt — _search_ — for the Serpentine.

_I hope they catch the monster responsible for all this._ Katherine thought, the thorny organ in her chest tightening. She wanted to see the slimy snake brought to justice. There wasn't a doubt in her mind it would take more than just the Ninja to protect it from the wrath these people would bring upon it if the culprit was found anytime; sooner or later wouldn't apply to this matter.

As for her, Katherine would be satisfied with a punch. Just one single punch to the monster's face, then she could crush the grudge she was bearing to ash in her hand without any second thought.

Mother Nature seemed generous for their plight and made it start to rain, washing away the odorous grime the monstrous serpent left behind. Katherine helped all throughout the day. Even when it rained she still insisted on helping. Beck, giving her his coat and scarf, and Nikkei, giving Katherine her umbrella, both convinced her to head home. When she declined, Beck became stern, and Nikkei compassionate.

"We'll take care of it, Kat." Nikkei assured with a smile. "Go on home. We don't want you to get sick, and all three of us know how much your immune system hates the rain."

"We'll need all the help we can get right now." Beck noted, looking around the broken buildings. "Just come back in the morning. I don't think your boss will mind if you skip a few days to help around."

Katherine, knowing they were right, had to nod, even though she didn't want to leave them. She went without an argument.

Now here she was, wet, cold and exhausted physically as she was mentally.

_For some reason…_she thought quietly to herself, _I keep thinking this is all a nightmare. A nightmare I'm going to wake up from any minute now._

What she wouldn't have given for such a thing to be true. The whole ordeal played out exactly like a nightmare would — one terrible thing happening after another out of nowhere, and she powerless to prevent it.

Of course, all nightmares always came to an end. She hoped this nightmare was finally over.

Katherine reached her two story apartment complex. One light was above every door so that people could see their number on a night as dark as tonight, but not a single one of them were on.

She groaned quietly to herself. Obviously the power was still out.

Distracted, she put her sore hand into her pocket to wrangle out her key, just inches away from the stairs, when she suddenly heard an odd noise. She instantly froze and looked around, listening intently. It took a few moments, but she caught the strange noise again.

Katherine, now completely sure she heard something, gazed in the direction she heard it. The noise came from her far right, somewhere in the shadows. She took only two steps towards it, refusing to go any further.

"Hello?" she asked aloud at the darkness. But there was no response, just the same deep indistinguishable sound.

Katherine bit her lip. She looked over her shoulder at her complex, unsure whether to go get the landlord. Now that she thought about it, she had the feeling there was hardly anything that moron could — much less even _would_ — do; he was either fast asleep by now, or lie by saying he would take care of it and forget about it the moment she was gone.

Heaven forbid he sent his son to do it for him…

It seemed she had no choice. Katherine, breathing in and letting it out for confidence, walked in the darkness. She took very quiet, mouse-like steps, trying to be conspicuous in a place that could easily turn bad for her at the drop of a hat.

She heard the noise again, much louder this time. There was pain, Katherine heard it in the noise loud and clear, and she slightly picked up her pace. Katherine squinted as a figure started to take shape. It was hard to tell what the person looked like, but she still approached them nevertheless.

"Are…are you alright?" she asked the stranger.

No response. All she could hear was deep breathing.

"Excuse me," Katherine knelt down and reached a hand out towards the person, "are you —"

**_BOOM!_**

A blast of thunder crashed, and a flash of lightening brightened the darkness for just a heartbeat. She saw the person before — Katherine jumped away, dropping the umbrella. She backed all the way into a brick wall, covering her mouth to contain her scream.

The world pitch black again, yet a mental picture of the creature lingered in her mind's eye as bright as day. She had never seen something like it before — that violet-blue skin, its black claws, and those sharp fangs!

Her heart froze just looking at it. She mentally screamed, her body trembling. Katherine knew exactly what it was, not the race, but **_WHAT_** it was!

Suddenly, the lights from the complex turned on, brightening the shadows enough for her to physically see the monster once again. Katherine jolted, still covering her mouth tightly. She had never seen this kind of Serpentine. She knew the all the four tribes: the Hypnobrai, the Fangpyre, the Venomari, and lastly the Constrictai. It wasn't difficult for her to point out which snake belonged to which tribe either.

The Hypnobrai were blue and had yellow markings, with red swirled eyes; Fangpyres were a bright red, and sometimes they could be born with two heads; a Venomari's scales were green, and they had four yellow eyes; and the Constrictai were black and orange, as well as the shortest of the Serpentine race.

But this Serpentine didn't fit with any of those descriptions. It was much larger, especially its neck. It's black markings didn't match any of the others. And…were those _gems_ imbedded in it's skin?

Katherine didn't know what to do. She looked around, hoping to find someone nearby who could help her.

She heard the pain-filled groan again. Her eyes instantly went back to the Serpentine. Her heart jolted when she saw it begin to lift its head. She reacted, grabbing her umbrella. Closing it, she lifted it in the air. The metal pole felt strong enough to beat the monster if it tried anything. If that didn't work, the tip was sharp enough to pierce through its skin. Not the best weapon, but it was better than nothing.

Katherine waited for the moment to strike. The pouring rain had soaked her. She tightened her wet grasp around the handle to ensure the umbrella wouldn't slip out of her hand.

The Serpentine slowly looked at her. Its eyes were a glowing bright violet. Katherine stood her ground. She held the umbrella like a sword, its tip aimed right between the odd serpent's eyes. She didn't want to fight, but it had seen her, and the Serpentine race adored nothing more than a fight. They warred with each other long before they warred with humans. Not even history knows why they fought each other. Some say it was over territory, others say it was to prove which tribe was stronger, but, to Katherine, it all seemed like senseless slaughter.

They were monsters with little to no compassion. She knew this Serpentine wasn't any different. It was like all the others: war-loving, heartless and pitiless. It didn't matter how different it looked — a Serpentine was a Serpentine.

The thorn covered organ felt even tighter. Katherine poised the umbrella high, prepared for the monster to attack. She waited, but…it never moved.

Although it was looking at her, the Serpentine seemed to be staring right through her, like she was a figment of it's imagination. Once again Katherine didn't know what to do. Her intense glare slowly fell.

Then, as she noticed the way it was holding itself, she let the umbrella drop when she saw the blood running down the Serpentine's side. The gash was deep. Whatever made it must have been as sharp as a knife.

She blinked, inwardly appalled at herself. Now that Katherine looked at it, she realized there was hardly anything the Serpentine could do to hurt her. It looked ready to collapse from blood loss any moment. And here she was…ready to strike it down if it made any sort of movement…

Katherine, cautiously, knelt down to meet the Serpentine at eye level.

"I guess…I guess you're not alright…are you?"

The sound of her voice drew the Serpentine's focus. Carefully, Katherine reached her hand towards it. This triggered it to try to move away, fearful of her touch. But it stumbled. Katherine saw the brief dizziness and reacted quickly, catching the Serpentine before it hit the ground on the side where the wound was.

It almost made her fall over too from its heavy weight. Grunting, she got the Serpentine's arm over her neck and used her legs to heave each other up. She kept her other hand tight around its side.

"I must be _crazy…!_" Katherine muttered to herself, as she started towards the complex, "I must be absolutely frickin' crazy!"

She wasn't entirely sure what possessed her to do this. It was stupid. It was reckless. She knew she could get into serious trouble for this, and she was **still** doing it. What was the matter with her all of a sudden? Katherine's mind started racing with bad possible outcomes. She shook her head and shoved them in the back of her mind; that wasn't going to help the situation right now.

Katherine preoccupied her mind with thoughts on how to clean and dress the wound, as well as thinking where to put the snake when she got it in her apartment. The better question was: what would she do with it once it woke up — or, the even better question, what would it do to _her?_

* * *

**Author's Note: **I know, I know I said I would just post the prologue, but a lot of people were eager for an update. Honestly, I wasn't expecting so many people to like this as fast as they did. It made me decide to post the first chapter for everyone to see what they're REALLY in for in the future.

This is all I am posting for "Long Live the King" for the time being. **WHEN I HAVE FINISHED "A CHANGE OF THE HEART" I WILL START ON THIS STORY.**

Hope you guys like it :) Please review, I would love to hear your thoughts and opinions.


	3. Chapter Two

**Disclaimer****: I do not own any of the original "Ninjago: Masters of Spintizu" characters, nor do I own the original settings. I only own Katherine, Beck and Nikkei.**

**Author's Note**: Hey, everyone :) So...remember how I was all like "this story will be on hold for the time being"? Yeah, well, I've changed my mind. Why? Well, because I've been itching to write it. I want to test my abilities, and since so many people have been asking I'd continue I figured, "Eh, why not?"

Enjoy :)

* * *

**Two — "Hospitality"**

_Midnight had long fallen over Ninjago. The graveyard felt still, surrounded by the resonance of chirps and howls of nocturnal creatures. Fog hovered and spread among undisturbed grave stones. The bright moon hung high above the land. Its gentle light fell everywhere, except the tomb of the Fangpyres._

_Pythor was the only Serpentine still awake at the late hour. The tomb felt cramped, despite holding a now great capacity of Tribes. He still couldn't believe how smoothly his meeting with the other Generals had gone. He wasn't surprised by the Venomari and Constrictai's gratitude for releasing them. They were more than willing to follow him in search for the other two Generals._

_It was luck that the first tomb they agreed to check first was the Fangpyre's. It took until sundown to reach. Upon finding the tomb, Pythor and the two Generals were surprised to find not only the Serpentine they were in search for but another Serpentine as well._

_He recognized the blue scales as a Hypnobrai — and a General no less. Pythor thanked whatever force was being gracious towards him this night for making his search an incredibly short one._

_The Fangpyre and Hypnobrai were as surprised at seeing them just as his group had been. Though they were slightly put-off by Pythor for appearing without his own Tribe, once he explained his intentions to help aid them in taking over Ninjago they seemed more at ease. But it wasn't until he showed them the Sacred Flute that they were convinced._

_For the sake of their followers, the five Generals decided they would wait until morning to arrange a tactical attack._

_Pythor had hoped this would give the Tribes a chance to interact with each other, that way it would make his plan easier. Alas, they were divided. The five Serpentine Tribes stayed amongst their own like glue, and if anyone dared to stray there was but a single hiss of warning. Pythor could see the invisible walls each of them had put in front of the other Tribes._

_That was when doubt began nagging at him, which made him head outside to arrange his thoughts._

_He slithered out into the dark woods, needing to get as far from the tomb as much as he could. Simply he slithered, which was his way of taking 'a stroll', only minus the legs. Pythor — although it was unclear to even him — had brought his staff with him. He couldn't deny that he had been clinging close to it as of late; the only times he had actually set it down was before he confronted the Ninja at the Boarding School for Bad Boys, and then attacking them again at the Toxic Bogs. It was the very first thing he'd grab afterwards, making sure it was in perfect condition even before the map marking the locations of the tombs._

_Pythor stopped to look into the gem of his staff. Like the other four Generals' staffs, they had a symbol engraved on their gems to symbolize the Tribe's gifted power — the Hypnobrai had an insidious swirl to represent their power of hypnotism, the Fangpyre's were two pure white fangs which signified their power of transformation with just a single bite, the Venomari's was a drop of acid that corresponded to the hallucinogenic venom they possessed, and then there was the Constrictai's linked chains which stood for their binding strength._

_Finally, the Anacondrai's staff gem. Five small circles were engraved on it. The largest circle was on the heart of the gem, with the four smaller ones overlapped and linked together over it. As much as Pythor spent trying to understand it, the symbol never really made sense to him._

_It didn't represent anything about the Anacondrai Tribe. What did a bunch of circles have to do with being able to eat an enemy whole, or turning invisible?_

_It meant something. That was all Pythor actually knew, but he hoped…._

_He stopped, as he spotted a small reflection from the gem. There was something watching him from behind a tree, he wasn't sure what it was until he caught a glimpse of bright eyes watching his back._

_Pythor glanced over his shoulder, looking at the tree behind him._

_He grumbled. "You have got to be joking…"_

_Then, in the same time as a breath of air, Pythor vanished from the spot._

_There was complete silence. At least until a surprise shriek disturbed it, as Pythor confronted his unexpected companion who had been too busy looking over the tree to watch the same Serpentine that reappeared the second he turned around and faced a stone-cold grimace, causing previously said shriek._

_"P-Pythor!" gasped the startled Hypnobrai General, the one the two-headed Fangpyre called 'Skales', "W-What a pleasssant sssurprissse!"_

_Pythor could tell by that shaky grin the swirly-eyed rat was trying to play natural. He crossed his arms, letting his long tail hold his staff so he wouldn't break eye contact. Then he smirked, enjoying the unsettled affect he was giving the smaller General._

_"You took the words right out of my mouth." He said, his tone causing Skales to back closer against the tree._

_"I ssswear, thisss isn't what it looksss like." — Pythor's eye slightly twitched from hearing the hissing hisser hiss all the words he could hiss — "I-I wasss merely — m-merely —"_

_Skales froze as Pythor lowered his high head closer to his face, his violet stare piercing his heart with fear._

_"Merely following me through the woods at night like an insect skulking behind the shadows...is that what you were looking for?"_

_Skales gulped, "N-Not the exact wordsss, b-b-but they'll do."_

_"You know," Pythor began, ever so calmly, "there are so many ways to show distrust in someone. I'd have much proffered you showing some backbone in confronting me rather than doing something as pathetic as this, and into a place isolated no less."_

_Skales slowly blinked, and put on his best dumbfounded face._

_"Diss —"_

_"'Distrust', yes." He (intentionally) interrupted, leveling his head just above Skales' as he looked him straight in the eye. "If you're going to play dumb, play it right. I caught you watching me, so out with it."_

_"If thisss wasss the other way around," Skales said, in his defense, "you would be sssuspicious as well."_

_Pythor's eye crests narrowed, "Of what?"_

_"Of a General who appearsss out of nowhere, with no Tribe and no explanation to their whereaboutsss."_

_Pythor's expression slowly grew cold._

_"That is my business." He clarified. "I have no need to share something that has nothing to do with our goals."_

_"And yet I doubt what you have in mind can be consssidered 'our goalsss'."_

_Skales was becoming a hammer nailing down on Pythor's patients. He channeled all his irritation in his grip around his staff so he wouldn't take it out on the Hypnobrai. He couldn't give the rest of the Tribes a reason to distrust him as well, especially not when he needed them more than he ever did in the past._

_"What I have in mind," he replied, trying to keep his cool, "is for the best of every Serpentine now and for the future. It is the one thing that was ripped from our hands all those years ago — the one thing we deserve more than these disgusting humans ever did."_

_Pythor knew — after having to put up with the idle and childish tasks Lloyd had put him through — that hardly any of the people of Ninjago had changed over the course of time. They were still as selfish and ignorant as they had been in the past. There was no way they would give up their land without a fight, and those interfering Ninja simply made things more difficult for him. Like gnats, they would regroup and fester together with their growing powers. They'd stop at nothing until every Serpentine was locked back inside their tomb._

_Or worse, if this generation was more bold._

_He looked to the side as the thought made him feel uneasy. He tightened a fist at his side._

_Skales noticed this, but kept it to himself._

_"Everything you've just ssspouted isss easssier sssaid than done, you know."_

_"But it will happen." Pythor declared, looking back at the Hypnobrai General. "Mark my words, it will."_

_"How?" demanded Skales. "Sssurely you've come acrosss the Ninja. They're relentlesss. They not only defeated my Tribe but Fangtom'sss asss well. They managed to turn pilesss of uselesss junk into powerful weaponsss and even thossse were no match against thossse four."_

_"I've got something better in mind."_

_"What?" Skales questioned, boldly showing his doubt. "Another Ssserpentine War —"_

_Pythor, in a blink, brought himself closer to Skales this time, so close the tips of their noses brushed together. He caged him with his arms, his sharp claws digging into the bark on the tree. The darkest expression blazed in Pythor's glare, paralyzing Skales to the spot. The tension was so thick it could've been cut with a knife — if that was even a wise decision. Now was the moment that Pythor was silently reminding Skales of his place just by his fierce glare._

_All Serpentine knew what their place was when beside an Anacondrai. Unlike some predators that had alphas and omegas, Serpentine had only Anacondrai. No other race came close to their valor or strength. The Anacondrai were as great history had told, and every Tribe knew it._

_"Listen to me, you skulking insect," Pythor growled, his glare unbreakable, "I don't give one damn how you or any of the other Generals feel about me. I'm not asking for trust but for cooperation. Although my plans are much bigger than anything your small brain can comprehend, I will not jeopardize — neither under nor above any circumstance — the lives of the little we have to accomplish them!"_

_Skales coward meekly, trembling like a nervous hatchling before the Anacondrai. He turned away and shut his eyes tightly, too afraid to meet Pythor's dark gaze any longer._

_Pythor, remembering the key to asserting yourself is maintaining eye contact, took Skales by his chin, forcing him to open his eyes and hold their stare._

_"I am going to need the determination of every Serpentine here, determination in making a better future for ourselves and the generation to come. But we will need to work together in order for that to happen."_

_"They'll never listen," insisted Skales. "The Tribesss would sssooner go back underground than unify!"_

_"I'm aware." Pythor said, giving Skales just a fraction of space. He knew what he was getting himself into the moment he stole the map, but he was more than determined to see this through until the end._

_He reached behind him to grab his staff. Once again, Pythor glanced at the engraved gem. It caught a small shimmer of moonlight, the symbol shining brightly._

_"I know what I must do."_

* * *

Katherine's heart was pounding a million miles an hour, so much that she was constantly losing her grip on the sponge. Every minute she was looking over her shoulder towards her guest bedroom, which normally never had a rectangular cabinet in front of it. By the tenth time, Katherine accidentally bumped the bucket beside her.

It tipped and spilled all over the floor. The smell of bleach filled the air.

"No-no-no! Crap!" she hissed, rushing to her bathroom to snag one of the used towels. She pressed down on the wet spot, holding her breath from revolting smell of the bleach.

She was glad to have a white carpet otherwise she'd have an issue on her hands. That being said, she most certainly had an issue on her hands. And it had traveled from the front door, across the carpet and then into the intensely locked guest bedroom.

Her floor was not only wet — oh no. That could have been easily solved with a towel or two. But her problem had branched. Starting with root A, which was the blood on the carpet. There wasn't much, but it was noticeable. If she was lucky, she could scrub the spots enough until they could pass for ketchup stains. (Of course, she was a top notch scrubber who knew how to get out even the stain of all stains.)

Root B was the ache all over her body. Her back was screaming, her knees were bruised and her arms would be noodles by morning. Not to mention her feet and legs were sore, as well. It was the biggest work out she had all year (and a free one at that.)

Then there was the start of it all — the one locked in the guest room.

The Serpentine had completely passed out the moment Katherine got into the apartment. Its full weight brought her smack down to the floor. She had to lug him on her back, using her legs to hold them both up to carry it into the guest room. When she finally got it on the bed, she began working on its injury. The gash was deep. Katherine had no idea what could have made such a wound.

She gathered as many towels and bandages as she could. After lightly pushing a towel below its side, she applied pressure to the gash to stop the bleeding. It was a wonder the Serpentine wasn't waking up. Katherine had to make sure it was still alive a few times, checking its wrist for a pulse.

The bleeding finally stopped. Katherine bandaged the wound up and checked to make sure the Serpentine was still alive again. She wanted to see how unconscious it was, so she risked the chance of loudly snapping her fingers a few times, followed by shouting a blunt "HEY!" at it.

After that, Katherine walked out, gently shutting the door behind her, and then locked it. She didn't feel secure enough, and decided to push her cabinet in front of it. That way, there would be no chance of it attacking her when she wasn't aware.

Katherine changed into the first pair of clothes she grabbed. She put on a gray tank-top and blue plaid shorts. She didn't feel like working on her hair, so she tied it up into a fat, messy bun.

Katherine finally got the rest of the stains out of the carpet, at the same time she heard a knock at the front door. She opened it to find a disgruntled Nikkei waiting for her. She leaned against the doorway, her jacket dripping wet from the rain. She was always a skinny girl (unlike slightly plump and curvy Katherine, with wide hips and wide waist) whose hair was as gold and short like straw and blue eyes as dark as the sea.

Nikkei wore a purple sweatshirt under her rain coat. The bottoms of her jeans were soaking wet from the rain. Even her favorite hat, which was light green with a cartoon-looking frog face, was wet.

"Hey, Nikkei," Katherine greeted. "Okay, look, I can explain."

"What's there to explain?" asked Nikkei, giving her an innocent look. "It's not like you called me at three in the morning, asking me to bring you some pain killers — right now, in the pouring rain, because who wants to wait for a clear, sunny morning to go for a walk, right?"

"Nikkei —"

"Then after I asked you why you needed me to bring them out to you at such a late hour, you shouted 'reasons' at me, and then hung up." Nikkei's innocent expression slightly hardened. "My ear is _still_ ringing, by the way."

"Okay, look, I'm really sorry about that but I need you to come inside — like right now, please, Nikkei."

Nikkei walked in. Katherine tried to close the door as quietly as she could. She jumped when Nikkei suddenly gagged.

"Geeze, Kat!" she exclaimed. "What is that sm —"

Katherine rushed over to cover her friend's mouth, letting the door slam behind them. To her, it sounded like a volcano erupting. She looked towards the guest room, unintentionally ignoring a struggling Nikkei.

She had to push her off to get her attention.

"_Katherine!_" Nikkei snapped. "What is the problem? You're acting —"

"_Nikkei, shhh!_" she whispered, putting her finger to her lips. "_Please,_ just _shhh!_"

"Why?"

"_Shh!_"

"Fine, why?" Nikkei whispered.

Katherine was practically huddling near her, glancing between her and the guest room. She tried to find a way to explain herself, but the words didn't want to come out. How _could_ she? This wasn't like an everyday occurrence that most people went through. She could only wish for this to be easy.

Nikkei looked over to the door when Katherine did for the fifth time. "Kat," she said quietly, "why is that door boarded up?"

Katherine, biting her lip, finally decided the best option wasn't to tell…but to show. She took Nikkei's hand and led her over to the door. As she pushed the cabinet out of the way, she told her:

"I need to show you something, Nikkei, and you have to promise me that no matter how freaked out you are, okay, that you _won't_ scream. Understand?"

She turned around to face her. Seeing her raise a skeptic brow, Katherine emphasized.

"Promise me, Nikkei."

"Okay," vowed Nikkei, "I…I promise."

Katherine nodded back and she unlocked the door. Slowly opening it, she poked her head in to make sure it was still there. The Serpentine hadn't moved an inch since she last saw it. Katherine moved over so Nikkei could get a look. She nodded her head, confirming it was her turn to look in.

Nikkei curiously poked her head inside.

Katherine began to count back. Three…two…

Nikkei moved like she had been forcefully shoved backwards, but the alarm and panic on her face was all too real. Her blue eyes were as wide as dish plates. She tried to speak but she was utterly breathless, pointing at the room with a trembling hand.

"Kat-Kat-is-_what is** that**, Kat?_"

Katherine closed the door and locked it before wrapping her arms around the panicked Nikkei. She held her tight, shushing and whispering for her to calm down. Each time Nikkei shook her head. She hissed at her in refusal.

"No! Kat! No, _you_ shush! Don't tell _me_ to shush when there a _freakin' Serpentine in there!_"

Katherine squeezed her shoulders, trying to get Nikkei to focus on her.

"Nikkei, you need to calm down. Please!" she whispered. "I will explain everything, but we have to be quiet. I don't want that thing waking up!"

* * *

Pythor's eyes began opening, as he could have sworn he was hearing distant, muffled voices. His senses slowly began kicking in. He could feel he was lying over something soft, something warm. When his vision came back he tried looking around. Pythor lifted his head — BANG!

He knocked the back of his head against something hard.

Cringing, Pythor sat up (keeping his head lower this time). He was slightly dizzy, but it started to pass the longer he sat up. However, his confusion immersed. The room he was in was very tiny. Aside from the large bed there was a nightstand beside it, with a lamp on top lighting up most of the room and a closet. There wasn't even a window.

Pythor tried to think back, wondering how he'd gotten into this place. But his memory was blank. All he could recall was rain, cold and pain. So much pain…

He shifted, and he felt his under arm brush against something. He looked down to find a bandage taped securely over his wound. Pythor touched it with a claw, feeling the thick padding of the bandage.

"Wha…" he mumbled.

"…_Wh…are you in…erine!"_

Faint whispers escaped from behind a door at the far left of the room. His chest began pounding when he realized he wasn't alone. Then something flashed across his memory, like a streak of lightening through the sky. Pythor remembered seeing a person before him, speaking to him!

Was that where he was? In their company?

With as much strength as he could use, Pythor got out of the bed. He tried to stay quiet as he stealthy slithered over to the door. He listened in through the crack, feeling constant vibrations from the other side. Although their voices were quiet, he could make out the words.

"I didn't know what else to do."

"So you brought it here?"

"I panicked, Nikkei! What would you have done?"

"_Not_ brought it into my house!"

It seemed there were only two people, and one was named Nikkei. Pythor felt more vibrations, and their whispering grew louder.

"Katherine, that is a Serpentine, not a Rottweiler puppy you took off the streets. The authorities are searching high and low for them. If they find out you're using your apartment as a 'refuge for Serpentine' —"

"I know, Nikkei! You think that hasn't crossed my mind, already?"

"Well, clearly _not_ if it's still here!"

_So this is the home of the one named Katherine…but why did she bring me here?_

Pythor tuned back in when he felt the vibrations again. Then their voices became more distant. He could barely hear a single word they were saying.

"Damn it," he hissed. He tried the door knob, cursing again to discover he was locked in.

He looked around in search for another way out, trying to keep calm. There had to be a way for him to escape, Pythor just needed to think….

* * *

Katherine walked into the kitchen, heading for her fridge. She pulled out a few slices of meat, such as turkey and ham and salami, along with the mayo and mustard bottles. She set them on her table, and then took a few slices of bread out from the bread box.

"Kat, what are doing?" asked Nikkei. "Don't tell me you're going to feed that thing?"

Katherine didn't look up as she made the sandwich. "I won't."

"Katherine, look at me," Nikkei leaned over the table, and Katherine looked up. Her voice was much softer than before. "Blink twice if you're being forced into doing this."

"Will you stop, Nikkei?" exasperated Katherine, squirting the mayo on the ham. "Honestly. You're as bad as Beck sometimes."

"You're not too fond of Serpentine either."

"I know that,"

"Then why are you going out of your way for it?"

Katherine took a breath, "because maybe…never mind."

"Let me guess — 'maybe they're not _all_ bad', right? Is that what you were going for?"

"Will you please hand me the pain killers?" asked Katherine, intentionally dismissing the topic.

Nikkei, giving Katherine a bitter look, searched her pockets. She pulled out the bottle and slid them over the table. Then Katherine went back to her fridge to pull out a cold bottle of water.

"You're serious?" asked Nikkei.

"Yup," Katherine affirmed. "Just because they've been cruel to us, doesn't mean I'll act the same way."

She finished making the sandwich. Katherine gathered the food together, while mentally preparing for whatever was about to happen. All she hoped was that: she wasn't making a bad decision.

When she was ready, Katherine unlocked the door. She took the food tray and calmly stepped inside the room.

Everything was quiet. She slowly walked over to the bed, noticing the large figure underneath the blanket. It must have moved in its sleep, she figured, setting the trey on the side of the bed. Katherine gulped, wondering what to do now.

She reached a trembling hand out towards the Serpentine, licking her dry lips nervously.

"_KAT!_"

Nikkei's shout startled her, making her turn around — and freeze. Katherine's heart stopped the moment she looked up to meet a violet glare, directed right on her. She breathlessly gaped, her quacking legs giving out underneath her. She expected to fall on the floor, but something grabbed and roughly yanked her back to her feet.

The Serpentine took Katherine by her shirt, pulling her up to end of her toes. She wrapped her hands around its arm, unable to turn away from its burning orbs. Her heart pounded. She didn't think it'd be this tall. Katherine had to crane her head just to keep eye contact.

It kept its head high over hers, making Katherine feel smaller and smaller by the moment.

The Serpentine lifted her higher, bringing its face just an inch away from hers. Then suddenly:

"Do the Ninja know I am here?"

Katherine gasped, and her heart started pounding harder. It spoke…no, _he_ spoke.

"Answer me!" the Serpentine ordered sharply when she didn't respond.

Katherine immediately shook her head. "No! No, they-they —"

"KAT, WATCH OUT!"

Nikkei's voice stole the Serpentine's attention. In a heartbeat it moved, blocking a wooden chair that Nikkei attacked with. She was using every ounce of strength she had, while he showed little to no sign of breaking a sweat. Before Katherine had the thought to act, she found herself lifted once more, and then was tossed at the bed like a doll.

She hit the mattress hard, getting the wind knocked out of her. Cringing, Katherine tried to move herself. There was a loud sound and a shriek. She looked up at the exact moment the Serpentine threw Nikkei over at the bed. The two girls collided into each other, softening the other's fall. All Katherine heard was the sound of the food tray falling on the floor, followed by the front door slamming shut.

To Katherine's surprise, she started calling out.

"Wait," she shouted, moving Nikkei off her. "Wait! Come back!"

Katherine, although it was hard with the pain in her lungs, ran out into the living room. The front door was half open. She looked back into the bedroom, stopping short at the sight of a half broken chair and a dent in the wall. (She could feel the money burn into ash).

She heard Nikkei groan, turning to see her lying face first on the bed. Katherine ran to her and frantically turned her over.

"Nikkei! Nikkei, talk to me! Are you hurt?"

"Aside from being tossed like that," she responded, rubbing her arm, "I'm all right. What about you?"

"I'm fine."

Katherine couldn't contain a smile of relief. She was glad Nikkei was all right, even proud that she came to her aid so valiantly like that. But then her smile fell as she started thinking about the Serpentine.

She looked back out to the living room.

"Well," grunted Nikkei as she sat up, "that happened. I can't believe it left us alive. Maybe it was too weak to really fight back."

"…He was scared." Katherine mumbled, in a voice too quiet for Nikkei to catch.

"Huh?"

But her question fell on deaf ears.

Katherine dashed for the living room. She stole her rain coat off the coat rack and shoved her feet into her boots. Her body was still shaking, making it hard for Katherine to properly put on her coat. She could hear Nikkei speaking to her, but her own thoughts were drowning her out.

_The whole city is on watch for Serpentine. He'll get caught in no time, either by the Ninja or the police. But if that injury opens back up, he might be dead before morning. _

She opened the door; the sound of the pouring rain was strong. Katherine stopped when Nikkei grabbed her arm, forcefully reminding her that she was still here. She saw the anger and confusion written all over Nikkei's face.

"Don't you dare, Katherine." Nikkei warned, in the most firm voice Katherine ever heard her use. "Let the authorities deal with that thing."

"I can't." Katherine told her. "He's injured, Nikkei. He could die. Besides, I need to ask him something."

Nikkei's stare grew hard.

"If I feel he's lying to me, I'll let him go —"

"But you'll bring it back here if you feel it's being honest. Kat, this is the stupidest thing you have ever done, and I'm not going to let you do it!"

"Nikkei!"

"That thing attacked you, Kat! It attacked me, too! We're lucky to be alive right now — don't just stupidly jeopardize your life like this!"

"Nikk_EI!_"

"The Serpentine are evil, Kat. Have you forgotten that? They're the ones the Ninja have been protecting us from for the past year, _and_ they're the ones that brought that giant snake monster on us. What makes _that_ Serpentine any different?"

Finally, Katherine shouted.

"I don't know, okay!" she smacked Nikkei's hand off, and continued shouting. "It stupid, I know! It makes no sense, I know! Have I lost my mind? Probably! But I'm too involved now, Nikkei! I treated his injuries, I made sure he stayed alive — I can't just do those things and not help but wonder if there was a chance that not all Serpentine are as bad as we all think!"

Katherine had shouted so much that she lost her breath.

Nikkei blinked at her, taken aback. "Kat…"

Katherine didn't wait to stay around. She pushed her hood up and quickly rushed down the steps. She stopped as Nikkei shouted from the doorway.

"If you go through with this, Katherine, then you're on your own!"

She didn't hesitate to respond.

"Do what you want, Nikkei," shouted Katherine. "I don't need you slowing me down."

It was the last thing the two women said to each other, before Katherine ran out into the city.


	4. Chapter Three

**Disclaimer****: I do not own any of the original "Ninjago: Masters of Spintizu" characters, nor do I own the original settings. I only own Katherine, Beck and Nikkei.**

* * *

**THREE — "SIGN"**

Pythor slithered as fast as he could. Just like before he had no idea where he was going — he just needed to find a safe route out of the city. But how? Pythor took cover in an ally to stop and catch his breath, that way he could calmly gather his thoughts together.

_I need to think!_ He exclaimed to himself, pressing a hand against his fast-beating heart. _It's obviously too dangerous to travel through the city, so the only hope I have of getting is underground._

He paused, risking a glance down to the bandage. The rain had wet it down, but overall it seemed fine. The tape looked just as tight as before. This eased his worry a little; he was lucky the injury hadn't opened back up after his bold escape. That wasn't one of his best moments. It would have gone a lot smoother, had he been able —

A blinding light shot at Pythor, catching him off guard. He shielded his eyes, startled again when voices began shouting.

"Here's one!" a deep voice yelled. "Back here in the ally!"

"Don't let it get away!" cried another.

Pythor escaped before the thought to do so even occurred to him. He turned down the first corner he saw. There were footsteps running behind him, he could feel and hear them. But Pythor slithered fast, a large gap widening between him and his pursuer. He tried to turn invisible - Pythor felt the same pulse that normally happened before he vanished out of sight. But - just like last time in that house - it failed. Pythor was visible and defenseless.

He needed to find a way to the sewers; his very life depended on it. As he slithered, Pythor searched for ways to escape. The gap between him and his pursuer widened more.

The pursuer could also tell. The policeman had no choice but to stop, as he pulled out and aimed his weapon.

"Stop!" he shouted. But there was no way that was going to happen. "I said: STOP!"

_**BANG!**_

A loud, sudden yet familiar-sounding crack startled Pythor — memories flashed across his mind: _of the ground splitting before him, of a giant wall of scales rocketing towards the dark heavens and a hungry gaze looking down right at him — _

Then a sharp pain bursting from the back of his right shoulder jolted Pythor back to earth. It was a kind of pain the Anacondrai had never experienced before, one so precise, so heart stopping. The shock caused his body to freeze, and Pythor tumbled face first against the hard, wet concrete ground.

The fall made his pain worse, in both his shoulder and side injury. The Serpentine could only lay there, trembling in pain.

Footsteps drew near once again. Pythor, with an idea in mind, tried to keep still...

"I..." the policeman panted, "I think I got it. But I'm n-not sure if it's dead —"

Pythor acted the moment he could tell the man had let his guard down. He ignored the scream from his injuries as he moved with the speed that only Anacondrai possessed. The policeman had no time to act, one moment he was armed, but then the next Pythor managed to smack the gun from his grip with one powerful swing of his hand. The human cried out, both in terror and agony.

It was cut short. Pythor pinned him against the nearest wall with simply his arm and lifted him up until his feet were dangling. The man shouted, screamed and kicked, doing his best to struggle. With a deep, vehement hiss from Pythor, he froze. Their gazes met — one full of hatred and one full of fear. The Anacondrai could smell the man's terror in the air, so he wasted no time as he reeled his other hand back.

There was a chance open, a chance for Pythor to strike. He poised his black claws, aiming to attack the most vulnerable spot —

_**BANG!**_

Another loud crack broke Pythor's guard, but it wasn't until another shot of pain — this time through his unprotected arm — that he realized he was in danger all over again. He pulled back with a cry, dropping the human in the process. In the blink of an eye, the Anacondrai was on the run once again.

Pythor slithered as fast as he could through the allies, turning every corner without a nagging thought of 'where?' crossing his mind. The loud shots echoed like drums in his head, causing dreadful flashbacks to dance in a rhythm of heartbeats across his vision. He held onto his injured arm tightly, unsure if the thick liquid seeping from under his hand and between his claws was rain water or...or...

He didn't want to think about that.

What he needed — more than anything at the moment — was a place to hide.

After another sharp turn into an ally, his prayers were answered. A large, pile of wood with a half-broken crate were against he brick wall. Pythor practically dove for it. He slithered behind the crate, grateful that not only was it sturdy but the inside was deep enough for him to hide in. He crawled inside, like the snake he was, and hid in the darkness.

The crate was damp and smelled, and drops of water leaked from the top but the Serpentine made no complaints, especially now that he had the chance to catch his breath and calm down his fast-beating heart.

Pythor risked looking at his arm. With just one glance, his stomach lurched. Blood seeped out of the coin-sized hole. He brought a hand around his shoulder. Feeling a wetness there too, he pulled back with crimson stained claws. Then there was his only covered injury. He saw the bandage half hanging off his scales, wet and heavy from the water. Dirt and mud stained the white padding. Some of the grime had even gotten on his wound as well.

Pythor, trembling, for once in his long, long life...had no idea what to do.

He wanted to scream and cry out to someone — he wanted to cry out to _him._ To shout for him until he came, just like in his hatchling days. When everything wasn't awful, and Pythor wasn't all...all alone.

At this point he was contemplating letting himself rot away in the crate. Why not? It wouldn't be the first time he was forced into darkness to wither away. And this way, no one would disturb him. No stupid boy would bother him, no Ninja would jeopardize his plan, no other Serpentine would look to him instantly for answers...he could spend his last few days — if not hours — here peacefully in this crate.

The thought was so enticing to Pythor. He practically welcomed it. It was a nice thought, considering he wasn't the kind of person who contemplated his own demise often. But that was then, and this was now. Of course he wouldn't have thought of something so horrid during that time, when was there time to think about death when you were trying to unify Tribes or unleash ancient gods?

Pythor remembered being told as a child that one's destiny was written in the stars...it made him wonder if there was one up there that had it out for him. Pythor P. Chumsworth's fate: "To die alone in a crate after letting down hundreds and devastating millions".

…

Sounds fair. Enough, at least...possibly. Maybe a small fraction of enough — or the tiniest, almost microscopic size and write "ENOUGH" on it, so that the stars will know that was his share in their plan.

Pythor couldn't help but chuckle at himself. Here he was, bleeding out and he was being bitter over a few stars.

How low he'd sunk in just a few hours.

He began staring into the damp wood. Drops of water that slipped through the cracks fell and streamed down his face. A few of them landed along the bottom of his eyes where they slid smoothly down...oddly enough, he hadn't felt those touch his scales.

Pythor's wet eyes widened as he heard feet against rock. He looked through a broken crack through the planks on the side of the crate. He expected to see one of the humans from before, but he blinked, filled with absolute shock at who he saw.

She looked around, clearly lost, with her black hair soaking wet and clinging to her forehead. Her only means of warmth was a long coat that came to the middle of her hips. But he knew her face straight away...and he remembered her name ever so clearly.

Katherine.

Pythor was more than puzzled than he'd ever been in his life. Had she followed him? All the way out here, in the rain? But why? Was she searching for him?

He watched the woman reel herself around, as if she heard something.

Pythor would have ignored it, had he not caught traces of faint voices heading towards here. His gaze snapped back towards Katherine, noticing the strange look on her face. He couldn't read it. At all.

So he had no choice.

Pythor, using his heart-stopping speed once again, escaped his hiding spot just so he could quickly snatch the woman and slither back inside the crate. Not an audible or distinguishable sound was made, not even as he dragged her in.

His hand slapped right over her mouth, as his arm pinned her arms down and his tail wrapped around both her legs.

She squealed and struggled out of fright, thrashing herself back and forth, and side to side to get herself free.

"Shut up!" Pythor hissed, straight into her left ear. "Shut up right now!"

That was when the footsteps went by, as well as a passing conversation. Both he and Katherine became stiff.

"How could we have lost something that big?" one of the voices said, almost out of breath.

"That doesn't matter now, you idiot!" snapped another. "We have to catch it before it finds a way underground!"

He waited until the voices grew distant, almost completely silent. That was when Pythor decided to act. He shoved the woman against the more sturdier side of the crate, pinning her tight against it, his hand still clamped over her mouth. He kept his head as high above hers as he could, meeting her dead in the eyes.

"You have eight seconds to explain why you followed me," the Anacondrai warned, his voice dark and low, "so I recommend to not stutter."

He removed his hand. Surprisingly, she delivered an answered almost instantly.

"I need to ask you something!" she said, trying to stay calm (which was a challenge when in the presence of such an intimidating person).

Pythor, inwardly dumbfounded, blinked at the woman.

"...You're kidding me," he said, incapable of wrapping his brain around that. "Please, tell me you're kidding."

Katherine shook her head at him.

It was the first time a human had accomplished in stumping Pythor, and he had no idea how to react.

"You realize," he began, trying to make something very apparent to her, "that you ran all the way out here, in the pouring rain after a Serpentine — a Serpentine who threw you halfway across a room just prior before this — just so you could ask me a question?"

He paused, giving that statement a chance to sink into her brain.

"Okay," nodded the woman, slightly taken aback. "That sounds really dumb and insane out loud..."

Pythor hummed and nodded in agreement at her.

"However," he shrugged, "since you came all this way...might as well ask me."

She had courage...he had to give her that, at least.

"I want to know," Katherine gulped, trying to maintain eye contact, "if...if you had-had anything to do with the-the, uh, attack?"

Pythor blinked, now wholly focused. The question made him tense—also making his diminishing ego cringe—and he tried not to show it.

"Why?" he asked, unafraid to show his suspicion.

"Just a-answer the question." The woman said, strongly. "Yes or no."

She was pulling a smart move...or so she thought. Pythor could indicate the sign of every trick in the book, from deceit to betrayal. Strangely, he wasn't spotting any sign of those from her. Which meant this was something else...a compromise, maybe?

Why else would she search high and low for him in poor whether conditions just to ask him a simple, yet probing question? If he said yes — which was something he undoubtedly would **never** admit to any living soul — she could pull anything: scream, draw a weapon, whatever else she had thought of before encountering him.

But then Pythor paused, as he realized...if he said no, and she did all this just to find him then that would mean...

He glanced upwards for a heartbeat. Seems a star up there was giving him a break.

As innocently as he could, Pythor pulled away, letting the woman breathe.

"No," he answered, shaking his head at her. "I had nothing to do with that — I wanted nothing to do with that."

The woman rubbed her neck, looking at him. He could see there was uncertainty lingering.

"I told them unleashing that monster was a horrible idea!" Pythor pressed, pouring his sweet lie into her. "I said it would backfire, but they refused to listen to me!"

"How did you get all the way out here?" she asked.

"I...I don't really know," Pythor admitted (which was the honest truth). "That monster attacked us as well. One moment I was in one place, and then the next I was here."

"I see..." she paused as she wiped something wet off her chest. She looked down and saw the blood. "What the —"

She saw the wound on his arm, her eyes looked they would bulge out of her skull.

"Your arm!" she exclaimed.

"Yes," Pythor rhetorically muttered quietly, "hadn't noticed..."

"We need to get you back to my place," she said. "I know someone who can help patch you up."

She crawled out of the crate, and then she turned around to him. Pythor watched her offer her hand out.

"Come on," she said, "before someone shows up."

Pythor, trying not to hesitate, took her hand.

She helped him out, knowing his injuries made it difficult for him to stay upright. The woman allowed Pythor to use her as a support, letting him wrap an arm around her shoulders and lean a little against her.

"Just let me know when you need to rest," she told him, after they peeked around a corner to find the coast clear.

"Don't worry about me," Pythor grunted, as they quickly went along. He winced and hissed at stings here and there.

Everything was rather calm as they turned and went down ally ways. They both made sure to avoid streets, knowing that was where most of the investigation was at.

"How far are we from your home?" Pythor asked, quietly.

"We're not too far."

"Oh, thank good —"

"But not too close either."

Pythor blinked at the woman. "What does that even mean?" he demanded in a hiss. "How are we not too far but not too close? That's a double negative!"

"Hey," she hissed back, her aggravated glare snapping right at him, "I don't think you realize how far you went! I never would have found you in the first place if it weren't for the gun shots!"

"How do you not know the way to your own home?"

"How about you shut up and let me find my way?"

He brought his face closer, glaring back with his own daggers.

"You're beginning to get on my nerves." He hissed, threateningly.

She got right back in Pythor's face, unflinching from his hiss.

"You know, I don't have to do this," she warned. "I'll drop you right here, right now if you don't shut your stupid trap!"

"You impudent —"

Suddenly they heard voices heading their way.

"You hear that?" someone asked.

"I think it came from over here..."

Both Pythor and Katherine looked around frantically for a hiding spot. She spotted one at the other side of the ally.

"Over there!" she said, nodding towards a wet dumpster by the corner.

Pythor saw it and his stomach flipped.

"I'd rather be caught." He refused.

Katherine wanted to rip her hair out. "Oh for the love of — come _on!_"

She grabbed his hand and pulled him along as she ran towards it. Lucky for her, Pythor wasn't strong enough to pull back, so he was practically dragged like a rag doll by the tiny woman. Before he could snap at her, she dove them both behind the dumpster. The moment the wet grime on the metal touched his scales, Pythor gagged.

He slapped a hand over his mouth so he wouldn't vomit. They hid at the last moment before the voices came behind them.

"Are you sure you heard something?" someone asked.

"I'm positive," they responded. "It was right around here. I'll check up here, you go down there."

Pythor and Katherine screamed silent curses. They both began to panic, unsure what their best options were: run or get caught. Neither sounded at all pleasant. Different thoughts ran through their minds at the same time.

_This is such bull!_ Katherine screamed, trying not to bang her head against the metal. _I'm just a good frickin' person trying to do a good frickin' deed! Nikkei was right, I should have left well enough alone and let this thing get caught. At least I would be back home in my nice apartment and prepare for my goo...okayish job in the morning. I'm going to be a criminal! I'll be lucky if they let me back in the real world — but even then I'll still always be a criminal!_

Pythor was experiencing the same level of panic, only the thoughts in his mind were...

_I'm dead! I'm dead! I'm dead! I'm dead! They're going to stuff me and mantle me in a museum somewhere! I can feel it! _

Just as outrageous as Katherine's.

The closer the footsteps grew, the more Pythor and Katherine kissed their freedom goodbye. The began counting the seconds until it was gone forever. Before either of them knew it, there came a loud cry of fear.

"SERPENTINE! SERPENTINE!"

But Katherine and Pythor looked around, and then at each other, both wearing the same confused expression. The footsteps began leading away from them, as well as the voices.

"Hurry, we have to head it off!" the person told their companion. "Find the girl screaming!"

Katherine moved her head around, catching the two authorities turning out of the ally way.

"They're gone," she whispered, breathless.

Pythor put a hand on his chest. His heart was about to burst right there.

"I'll be right back," Katherine told him, standing up.

"You'll what? Hey, wait —"

She didn't give Pythor a chance to argue against her...but it didn't stop him from shout-whisper at her.

"Don't you _dare_ leave me here!" he hissed. "Get back here!"

But she ignored him. Pythor pounded his fist against the dumpster, not caring about the grime.

* * *

Katherine ran to the other side of the ally way. That voice, the person who screamed, it almost sounded like...but that couldn't have been her. It couldn't.

She was just about to peek around the corner when someone almost collided into her. Both girls shrieked in fright, jumping away from each other. Both of them looked at each other, and Katherine's mouth dropped.

"Nikkei?" she gasped.

Nikkei, dripping wet and breathless, smirked. "Hey," she greeted, lazily waving a hand.

"What are you doing here?" Katherine questioned, shaking her head in puzzlement. "I thought you said —"

But Nikkei raised a hand, stopping her. "I know, I know." She wiped her wet forehead. "Believe me, I know."

"So why?"

Nikkei shrugged. "Well for starters, I'd be a pretty crappy friend if I'd let you run all willy-nilly out in the cold and rain, right?"

Katherine tried not to roll her eyes. "Nikkei,"

"Now hold on," she stopped again. "That was the starter. I was about to leave your apartment when a thought occurred to me: Kat's never been a bad judge of character before. Sure, this time — instead of a guy who wears black leather and rides a motorcycle — it's the most terrifying Serpentine I've ever seen...but so what?"

Nikkei followed that up with a beaming grin. "That shouldn't stop me from helping, right?"

Katherine blinked, her surprise obvious in her widened eyes. "Nikkei..."

"So, where is it — er, he, where is he?"

Katherine shook her head, snapping out of her stare. "Oh! Back here!"

They both ran back to the dumpster. Katherine wasn't sure why she was expecting a relieved welcome back as she received such a contempt, narrow-eyed glare from the Serpentine.

"I told you I'd be right back," she sternly reminded, crossing her arms.

"A better warning wouldn't have been hard." He retorted.

Nikkei glanced at Katherine. "Talk about a good first impression..." she mumbled.

"Will you still help me?" Katherine asked.

"You don't even need to ask." She assured, smirking warmly.

Katherine smiled, grateful for Nikkei's support.

They helped the Serpentine up, both of them becoming his support. Now it was much easier with an extra person assisting Katherine in carrying him. Nikkei made no complaints, either. She offered nothing but support as they lugged him back to Katherine's apartment. They could tell he was getting tired. He also became heavier, thankfully this was by the time they were heading up the stairs of the complex.

"By the way," Katherine grunted at Nikkei, as they took him up one step at a time, "you promised you would never mention that guy ever again."

Nikkei chuckled. "I didn't remember that promise until I brought him up. Sorry."

"It was a phase you know."

"I know, Kat. I know."

Katherine gave her a skeptic look. With an embarrassed flush, she muttered under her breath:

"I was eighteen."


	5. Chapter Four

**Disclaimer****: I do not own any of the original "Ninjago: Masters of Spintizu" characters, nor do I own the original settings. I only own Katherine, Beck and Nikkei.**

* * *

**FOUR — "Companion" **

Nikkei held open the door while Katherine lugged the Serpentine inside. They both, almost instantly, collapsed on the floor in a wet, shivering mess. Katherine told Nikkei to head into her bathroom to get towels and her first aid kit. She returned with all the items in hand, mostly with towels, as she hurried to Katherine's side.

Nikkei set the first aid kit down, grabbing the first towel in her hand and throwing it over her shivering friend. She rubbed her arms, doing everything to warm Katherine up as quick as possible.

Pythor saw this and couldn't help but feel slightly bitter towards them. Not like _he_ was injured and bleeding or anything...

"You get out of those soaking wet clothes," Nikkei told the shivering Katherine, "and I'll take care of him."

Katherine didn't object. The sooner she was in something warm, the less she would worry about her health. As she went to her room to change, Nikkei pulled out rolls and boxes of bandages.

"All right," she said, still slightly breathless, "let me take a look at you."

Pythor allowed the woman to look him over. At the sight of the wounds, Nikkei cringed aloud.

"Jeez," she said, wincing just from looking at them, "I knew I heard gunshots, but...ah, man. That must have sucked."

Pythor wasn't sure what exactly she meant by that. He'd heard dozens of humans — especially adolescent ones — use that phrase multiple times to describe a bad situation. It made no sense to him, even the other Serpentine were confused by the term.

"You have no idea," Pythor said, wincing slightly from moving himself wrong.

"Just stay still," Nikkei told him, patting a cloth against his arm softly, "I'll try to stop the bleeding."

She wrapped his arm, putting a cloth over the hole to keep any more blood from getting out. Nikkei taped an even thicker cloth over the hole on his shoulder. By the time she reapplied a new bandage on his gash, Katherine walked out with dry and longer clothes.

"How is he?" she asked Nikkei.

"Good and bad," she told her, standing up. Nikkei went up to Katherine, speaking quietly. "He was shot, no doubt about that. But I don't know anything about the bullets. We might have to consider bringing in Alan."

"It was considered way before this," Katherine assured, glancing at the Serpentine. "I thought maybe you could get him?"

"Get who?" Pythor asked the two women. He didn't like the idea of seeing another human. The two men with the guns were enough.

"His name is Alan — Doctor Alan McKullan." Katherine answered. "He's a veterinarian."

Pythor looked at them. "You're both going to call a _vet_ to come and treat me?" he couldn't help but mutter: "I'm not sure whether to be confused or insulted."

"He's the only person we can turn to right now," Katherine explained. "Besides, if those injuries of yours get infected..."

"Say no more," Pythor sighed, shaking his head as he rubbed a temple, a pounding ache in the back of his head.

Nikkei and Katherine looked back at each other.

"So I'll get Dr. McKullan while you..._tolerate_ him, then." Nikkei said, adjusting the hat on her head.

Katherine nodded. "I know it's a lot to ask."

"Nah," she shrugged, waving a hand, "now if you wanted me to bring Beck into this, then you would be asking for too much. There's no way I'd ever do that in this situation."

Katherine found herself nodding in agreement. That would indeed be a stupid move. She glanced at the Serpentine, able to imagine Beck's rage at her in her mind. Boy, did she hope he'd never find out about this...

The two girls went to the door. As Nikkei zipped up her jacket, she smirked at Katherine. "Although, I expect to hear a little phrase a lot more from this point on..."

She rolled her eyes. "Nikkei. No."

"Come on, Kat!"

"No, it's dumb."

"It is not. Please, Kat? Not even once?"

Katherine tilted her head back and groaned. "Oh, fine."

Nikkei beamed, and then eagerly awaited to hear her say it.

"...Deus ex Nikkei saves the day."

Katherine rolled her eyes again as Nikkei began to cheer, walking out the door with an unstoppable bounce in her step.

"I am filled with DETERMINATION!" she yelled as she ran into the rainy city.

Katherine shut the door and shook her head. She hadn't said that phrase since freshman year in High School, after Nikkei saw an action movie with the title "Deus ex Machina" and demanded that she and Beck say that after she did something amazing, like passing a hard exam or convincing that the three of them make an exercise plan to actually follow through with every day.

She had hoped Nikkei's obsession with that phrase would die as quick as their exercise plan, but years later and she was still trying to make that a thing. And now that Katherine had said it, the phrase would only grow stronger in power.

Katherine sighed, putting Nikkei's woman-child habits in the back of her mind. She looked at the Serpentine. He was busy adding more bandages to his arm — or struggling to do so was the better word, especially with just one hand — as blood began seeping up from under the wrap Nikkei had applied.

She cautiously went over to him, hearing his hushed curses the more he struggled with the bandages.

"Here," she offered, kneeling down beside him. "Let me handle this."

She took off the mess of wraps he had made around his arm. Katherine grabbed a towel and pressed down on the wound. The Serpentine hissed at the pain, his arm twitching a couple times.

"You need to apply pressure to get the bleeding to stop —"

"I know that!" he suddenly snapped defensively, cutting her off.

"Then why didn't you do that instead of wasting my bandages?" Katherine snapped back, just as viciously. "I need those, you know!"

"Do you even realize how much that hurts?" he demanded.

Katherine rolled her eyes. "Man, you know for a Serpentine you're acting like a child."

"Oh dear, forgive me for shattering the illusion." He retorted, bitterly. "What? You thought we all enjoyed pain?"

"No, but I didn't think your kind would wine like babies."

"I was shot at!"

"Yeah! And had it not been for me, you'd still be in that crate! So how about you show me a little gratitude!"

The Serpentine grabbed Katherine's collar and yanked her until they were nose to nose. He glared daggers at her, and she glared right back. She could hear his aggravated rumbling from the back of his throat. Katherine's heart pounded, but she refused to give him the satisfaction of scaring her — which was all he wanted. If he wanted to kill her, then he would have done it already.

"If you could keep your voice _down_," he growled, "I would _really_ appreciate that. I have a _pounding_ headache and you're not helping."

"Fine. I'll be quiet when you quit whining." Katherine snapped. "And _I'd_ appreciate it if you'd let me go. This is a new sweatshirt."

He made an annoyed face at her last remark before letting her go with a slight shove.

"Fine." He bitterly agreed.

Katherine and the Serpentine instantly became silent. But their aggravation at each other was more than obvious. Every few minutes, Katherine would check to see if it was still bleeding. She sighed after the third time of checking. Man, this guy was certainly a bleeder...

She couldn't wait for Nikkei to come back with Alan. Once he showed up and got this nuisance out of her house, everything would go back to normal. All she could do for the time being was count the minutes away.

Time ticked away...

Katherine checked the clock. It was almost three in the morning. Nikkei should have been here by now. Alan's clinic wasn't that far from her apartment. It was a fifteen to twenty minute walk on foot, which was barely even ten minutes if by taxi. What could have been taking Nikkei so long?

By pure coincidence, her phone rang. Katherine stood up to answer it after she told the Serpentine to hold the towel to his arm.

"Hello?" she said.

"Katherine? Hey," replied Nikkei, a little hurried and breathless, "so, um, I gotta use another way to Alan's. The roads we usually take are destroyed. Like I'm not exaggerating, Kat, they _destroyed._"

"Crap!" Katherine cursed. Then she winced at an ache in her head. She massaged a temple with her fingers. "Please tell me they're at least fixing them?"

"Yeah. That's the reason why I can't get through. Some of the roads suffered from that giant snake-monster-thing's rampage. Thankfully, one of the construction workers gave me directions to go to Alan's clinic."

"Well, thank goodness for that..." Katherine sighed.

"I know. But you're gonna have to just wait for a little longer. I don't think I'm that far, so just hang on for half an hour. How's, uh, everything back there?"

Katherine glanced at the Serpentine, trying not to show her dissatisfaction. She headed for the bathroom, shutting the door behind her.

"Nikkei, this is absolutely the worst thing I could have done." Complained Katherine in a whisper, leaning back against the door with a wave of regret and exhaustion coming over her.

"I can't really disagree with you on that one, Kat." Nikkei admitted. "I mean, hate to point out the obvious but you should have been prepared for this when you brought him in your house."

"But he's such an ass!" she exclaimed, as quietly as possible.

"Kat, come on. Try to imagine from his perspective: if you got brutally shot at by police, you'd be acting kinda like an ass, too."

Katherine opened the cabinet behind her mirror over the sink for more bandages. "Yeah, I get that. But he's just...ugh!"

Nikkei asked, then:

"So what's his name?"

Katherine didn't bat an eyelash at her question. "I don't know."

"You haven't even asked him his name yet? Seriously? Wow, and you wonder why he's being such as ass..."

Katherine sighed with aggravation, the pounding in her head getting worse by the minute.

"Honestly, Nikkei, I don't want to know his name. I don't want to know anything about him. I got the answer I want, and now I want him out of my house and out of my life as soon as possible."

"Dang, Kat." Nikkei said, a little stunned by that. "Kinda harsh."

"It's true." Katherine grabbed a new roll of bandages that had been hiding in the corner of her cabinet.

"So you're not even going to talk to him while you wait?"

"Not interacting with him has been the one thing that's kept me from throwing him out."

"Why not just try to?" Nikkei suggested.

"Nikkei..."

"I know, I get it. But just try. Maybe he'll be a little nicer if you do."

"Yeah, and then what? Politely ring him for information on his buddies whereabouts?"

"...Well, no. But I'm sure he'll appreciate your effort to get to know him, even just a little. Oh, wait a second — yup! There's the clinic!"

Katherine couldn't have been happier to hear those words.

"All right, well I'm gonna have to let you go. I'll be there with Alan as soon as I can, but you'll have to be the one to explain what's going on."

"Fine," she agreed. "Just please make it fast."

"Will do." Nikkei promised. "You just try to be civil towards him — you brought him into your house, so treat him like a guest, okay? I'll see ya."

With that said, Nikkei hung up.

Katherine put her phone in her pocket and sighed, rubbing her forehead.

"Treat him like a guest, huh?" she mumbled aloud. Katherine chuckled at that. "Easier said than done."

Nikkei was right, Katherine knew that. Even though she wished she didn't. Of course she had to be civil to the Serpentine, but the silence was just so much _easier_ than engaging in actual conversation. Introductions were just as simple. The real question was what would she say _after_ that part?

What was life like underground?

Hey, that was a crazy war, right?

Katherine's head wanted to implode at this point, which if only was possible...

She inhaled a deep breath before finally exiting the bathroom. She went back into the living room, and saw that he was once again struggling to wrap the bandages around his arm.

She stopped and crossed her arms. The Serpentine ignored her leer.

"It stopped bleeding." He said, avoiding looking at her. "I don't need your help."

Katherine opened her mouth to retort sharply...but instead she stopped. She breathed deeply in and out to keep her top from popping.

"You should change your other ones," she told him, her tone light and controlled. "It's not safe to wear dirty bandages."

She was surprised to see him pause, followed by looking down at his arm, and then he quickly began unwrapping the new bandages after a moment of consideration.

Katherine moved next to him. She knelt beside, waiting for him to say something. But he was so preoccupied by his bandages that he was effortlessly paying her no mind.

Katherine had no choice but to speak...

"Nikkei had to find another route to the clinic," she told him, inwardly hoping this would trigger a conversation. "But she got there and now she's on her way back as we speak."

…

He didn't respond.

Katherine frowned. _Well, that was pointless._ Then, realizing she had no other choice, she sighed again...

Slowly, she reached her hand out to him. The Serpentine noticed her move. He looked down at her hand, and then gave her a questioning look.

"We sort of...got off on the wrong foot." She said, trying to hide her embarrassment. "My name's Katherine. What's yours?"

He continued to pause and he slightly drew back from her. His expression went from confusion to suspicion.

"I know doing an introduction is pretty pointless by now," she admitted, "but, human or not, you're...you're a guest in my house."

He paused for just a few more moments before reaching out and taking her hand. There handshake was fast, mostly awkward at best. They clearly didn't want to really start a conversation, but at the same time it beat sitting around in total silence.

"My name is Pythor." He finally introduced, letting go and going back to his arm. "Pythor P. Chumsworth."

He always said his full name when he introduced himself, even if he didn't really want someone to know his whole name. Pythor had said it so many times that it was practically automatic.

Katherine blinked. "You guys have full names?" she asked, surprised.

"Nope, just me." Pythor answered. "As far as I know anyway..."

"Huh..." Katherine paused thoughtfully. "Well, in that case — I'm Katherine Amelia Briggs."

Pythor looked at her.

"Figured since you gave me your full name I'd, uh, give you mine..."

Pythor didn't quite know what to say...so he said nothing and finished unwrapping his arm. He could feel Katherine give him a glower, until they both cringed back at seeing his wound. Pythor's stomach flipped, and he quickly grabbed the clean bandages and started wrapping. The image inhabited his mind, making it the only thing he could imagine. He started gagging, so much so that he had to stop and turn his head away.

He heard Katherine run, grab something, and then slam a garbage can near him. She retrieved it in just the nick of time — Pythor plunged his head in and retched. He had no idea there was anything for him _to_ vomit up, but it hurt nevertheless. It hurt his side, his shoulder — everything. Pythor coughed up so much that at one point he feared he would throw up his own stomach.

When his stomach was empty of any fluids, he start heaving up air. That hurt even more. His insides felt like they were convulsing. It made him double over, with tears stinging his eyes.

It felt like hours but it finally stopped. Pythor never felt more relieved.

Pythor could breathe again. He leaned against the bin, heaving in and out deep breaths as a trail of spit slipped down the side of his jaw. Ugh, he was such a revolting mess. Not to mention he felt even _worse_ than before, which he — admittedly — didn't think was possible at this point.

He felt Katherine get up once again. When she returned, he saw her offer him a glass of water and a napkin. Pythor took them both. He chugged down the water slowly, stopping only to wipe his mouth clean of any disgusting residue.

"You feeling any better?" she asked, attempting to offer a little comfort.

Pythor shook his head. "No," he answered, his voice heavy and scratchy. "So far this has been the worst day of my life, and you would think I would say that about being trapped underground..."

He shook his head again, and then took another sip of water.

"Well, you're still alive, right?" Katherine, somewhat awkwardly, offered. "There's something to be glad for."

Pythor stopped to chuckle at that. He didn't want to say his feelings referring to that aloud. If being alive was the one thing for him to be happy over, then why wasn't he? The shame he'd now have to carry with him for the rest of his long days brought no sort of warm comfort.

It made him feel cold, inside and out.

Then, glancing at Katherine, a question went through Pythor's mind.

"Why did you help me?" he asked her, in a somber yet puzzled tone. "I thought humans despised Serpentine. But you still helped me...I don't understand it."

Katherine blinked at him, and she looked away in thought. Clearly, she didn't understand why herself. He could tell, by the slightly stumped expression on her face.

"...I wish I knew." She admitted, after a moment. "When I found you lying there, weak and bleeding out like that I just couldn't...walk away, you know."

"But I'm sure you tried."

He was surprised when she shook her head.

"No, actually. I mean...I was prepared to act in case you did something but..."

Pythor raised an eye ridge at her. "Do something?" he questioned.

Katherine tried not to shrug. "Hey, if you found something that was big with fangs and claws outside your home, would you just approach it unarmed? No, you're pretty much asking to be attacked."

Pythor gave her a look and — in all honestly — wasn't at all surprised by this. Humans would never trust Serpentine, whether they meant no harm or were too weak to even fight. It was nature, especially at this point in time. Grudges had a tendency to be passed down through generation after generation.

"So you only helped me because...?" Pythor asked, trying to sort this all together.

Katherine was slightly confused by this, "Because you were hurt...what? You think all people are just rocks that — you know, never mind. That's a pointless thing to ask you."

Pythor simply rolled his eyes and then went back to drinking his water. Once he finished it and set the glass down, Katherine offered to bandage his arm back up.

"I'll let you know when you can't see it," she told him, beginning to wrap. Pythor nodded.

Within a minute, she gave him the okay to look. There was a silence between them for a couple minutes, until Katherine broke it.

"So you mentioned you were against the others about unleashing that thing..." she said.

Pythor nodded. "The Great Devourer."

"Huh?"

"The monster that attacked the city — it was called the Great Devourer." Pythor explained. "A...A Serpentine amongst us was convinced that by awakening it, then...then we could scare you humans into obeying us. But, as you can see, the plan backfired. It attacked my kind, and then your city..."

Katherine had paused from wrapping his arm, as she stared at Pythor.

"And what happened to the Serpentine who let that thing out?" she asked, a slight chill going up her back.

Pythor paused, looking down. He sighed a heavy breath, and answered:

"He died."

Katherine's mouth dropped slightly, taken aback. She blinked with wide eyes.

"He was eaten by the Devourer...there was no chance for him to escape."

Memories once again played through Pythor's mind. He remembered the sound of his screams as he saw those piercing orbs target him from the darkness below. How his heart stopped as the colossal beast burst forth towards the sky, and how slowly his life had flashed before his eyes as he slipped down it's throat. Pythor also remembered the thoughts that ran through his mind as he sank inside the Devourer's bowels...

He wanted to die. He hoped and prayed to any higher power that he would. Pythor knew death was better than carrying this shame with him...but he was obviously ignored. Now he was here, alive...and all alone.

He had no army, no Tribe and-and no family or close companions to turn to for consolation in this dreary time. Only the shame was true friend; there to remind him of his actions at every moment of his existence. There, it would stay. Right by his side. Until the end of his days, until his last moment.

Before he realized it, Katherine had finished. He traced the bandages with a claw, his companion still holding him with its cold arms.

"I hope you didn't know him..." She said, noticing his silence.

"It doesn't matter anymore." He said. "He's gone...and I doubt anyone will miss him." Then he added, without so much as an ounce of sympathy: "Maybe things will be better now."


	6. Chapter Five

**Disclaimer****: I do not own any of the original "Ninjago: Masters of Spintizu" characters, nor do I own the original settings. I only own Katherine, Beck, Nikkei and Doctor Alan McKullan.  
**

* * *

**FIVE — "Predicament"**

Katherine brought Pythor into the guest bedroom as soon as she wrapped his arm. She tried to avoid looking at the dent in her wall as she helped him get comfy, or, well, _tried_ to before Pythor ripped the sheets out of her hands.

"You don't have to fret over me." He snapped, giving the woman an annoyed glance. "In fact, the less you touch me the better."

Katherine glowered at him. "Or what?" she taunted, calling his bluff. "What will you do? Throw me again?"

Pythor didn't say a word. Katherine smirked in satisfaction, until the sheet she had been sitting on was suddenly pulled out from beneath her in the blink of an eye. She tumbled backwards and hit the floor, gasping out a breath of air that left her lungs.

Coughing, she sat up and shot the Serpentine a deadly look. But he merely laid back on the pillow, his smug look beaming with pride and triumph. She clenched her teeth and got to her feet, wincing at a soreness on her rump from the impact.

She headed for the door, but stopped half way to tell Pythor:

"Fair warning: Doctor McKullan has no idea that he'll be treating a Serpentine's wounds, so there's a good chance that when he sees you, he's gonna scream. So..."

Pythor raised an eye ridge.

"Can't you tell him when he comes?" he questioned.

Katherine shrugged. "You're a Serpentine. He's gonna scream at you no matter what. I don't know what to tell you."

He rolled his eyes and, grieving an aggravated sigh.

"What?" Katherine asked. "Does that bother you?"

"Of course. You and these stupid questions..."

Katherine looked at him for a moment...before beaming her own smug grin at him. "Well, at least one good thing will come out of Doctor McKullan screaming at you."

Then she shut the door before Pythor had the chance to say something back.

She practically dragged herself to her couch. With a loud _poomf _and a creak, she collapsed on the soft cushions. Katherine's eyes began to droop but she fought them back. She couldn't sleep, not now anyway; otherwise, she'd never wake up. Katherine needed something to distract herself.

There was one thing that came to mind...

Hanging on the wall across her couch was her dart board. Katherine got up and reached over to her cabinet to open a drawer full of darts. She took five of them. She sat up with a dart in hand and aimed...she threw it six seconds later, which flew straight and hit a spot on the third red circle far below the twenty and just above the center target.

Katherine chuckled with a grin to herself. "Missed it by _that_ much..."

She must have been tired.

Playing darts was a hobby not many girls usually developed; well, not the girls Katherine was around at least. Other girls — mainly between the ages of seven and nine — enjoyed dressing up their expensive glass dolls or playing pretend tea parties, but Katherine could never see what the big deal was about those things. She tried them once, when her father would drag her out with him to hang out with his friends and force her to spend time with their daughters. They were experiences both older and younger her cringed just thinking about...

One of his friends had a daughter that had a collection of glass dolls that were more than just well-kept. That little girl treated them like they were real people. She had them organized randomly on pedestals in her giant room...all twenty-three dolls sitting side-by-side. Katherine didn't like a single one of them. Their glass, soulless stares made her uneasy, like she was constantly being watched, being _judged_ by dead-eyed little girls with blank expressions.

Katherine got goosebumps just thinking about them..._ugh._ She had nightmares for a week after that visit. Her dad was smart enough to never drag her back there ever again.

Then there was another daughter that played tea parties. Katherine tried...and then got kicked out because she was _apparently_ being rude to a stuffed pink elephant named "Lancelot" by _apparently_ ignoring him when he _apparently_ repeatedly asked Katherine to pass the sugar.

It later occurred to her father that Katherine's interests were not that of a typical female youth...until late one weeknight when he found Katherine struggling to hit the center target on his dart board. It had only been a thought that went through her mind, a whim in truth. She had seen her dad and his friends play it so many times before that it intrigued her to give it a shot when no one was around.

Had it not been for that whim, Katherine may have been the most boring person in the whole city. Her skills with darts exceeded her own father's expectations, to a point where she was better than him and his friends combined. No one could hit the center between their first three tries like she could. Her talent improved so much that she'd win with a perfect shot right at the target on her first try.

It was a talent Katherine didn't let rust, not even now.

Katherine aimed and threw another dart. This one hit a spot a little too far to the right, in the white part far below the six. She threw another, this time without aiming. Then another and another, both without caring where they hit.

By her final dart there was a knocking at the door. Katherine never got up so fast off her couch.

When she opened the door, she was greeted by Nikkei and a very aged man, who was in his early sixties.

He was the first person Katherine greeted.

"Hey, Doctor McKullan." She smiled, as he and Nikkei walked in.

Doctor Alan McKullan was a very approachable man, even at first glance. He had a very round but solid face, with well trimmed gray-brown hair and a blue gaze that always made direct eye contact, whether the person wanted to or not. But they were eyes that even the shyest of people could look into without any worry.

Alan, with his large, black leather medical bag in hand, walked in. His gray jacket was slick with drops of rain, but it lacked a hood. That was where his (though now wet) navy blue beanie came in.

"Evening, Katherine." Doctor McKullan greeted back, removing his wet beanie and setting his bag down. "Er, make that: 'Morning,'."

Katherine looked at the old man as she gently shut the door. "I know, and I'm really sorry for bringing you out here so late...or early? I don't really know — but I appreciate it all the same, Doctor."

Alan took off his jacket — as well as gladly taking Nikkei's — and hanging them on her coat wrack.

"Oh, no need for apologies, Katherine." He assured, placing his beanie on the wrack to dry too. "I'm always ready when one of my favorite pet owners are in need...even at very questionable hours of service."

Katherine smirked, trying to act natural, and gave a shrug.

Doctor McKullan went straight to business, as he asked Katherine:

"Now, what seems to be the trouble with little Minnie?"

Katherine, her smirk dropping, blinked a couple times. "Minnie..." she paused, noticing Nikkei imitating something from behind the Doctor.

She was making a very sour frown, as if she was feeling nauseous.

Katherine got the hint —

"Minnie hasn't been feeling well these past few hours." She explained. Katherine gained more confidence when Alan nodded at her attentively. "She's been throwing up whatever she eats, and now she won't eat altogether. Oh, and after she went to her litter-box, the whole room just reeked like something died."

She saw Nikkei giving her a proud thumbs up for that last bit.

"I see..." Doctor McKullan said, his arms crossed as he pondered to himself. "Well, it might just be from stress, which doesn't surprise me one bit, considering how awful this day was for everyone in the city...but then again, we won't know for sure unless we check, right?"

Katherine gulped, beads of sweat on her brow, as she tried to maintain a calm and collected smile. His reference to the monster attack was more disheartening than she thought it would be. It made her wonder if calling him in was the right idea...

When Alan turned to open and search through his medical bag, Katherine flashed a concerned look towards Nikkei, the question was in her worried expression.

But Nikkei only shook her head and shrugged, just as unsure as Katherine was.

Alan pulled out a pair of gloves. "All right," he said, turning to Katherine, "where is little Minnie?"

Katherine bit her lip, trying to stay calm. "Uh, i-in this bedroom." She said, leading him over to the spare bedroom.

She reached for the knob but Alan beat her to it. Both Katherine and Nikkei drew back as he opened the door and went into the room. It half shut behind him.

The two women braced, prepared to hear Alan's scream of terror.

….

Six seconds of silence went by. They blinked, glancing at each other with question.

"Okay..." muttered Katherine.

"Maybe Alan's being really chill about it?" Nikkei guessed, with just the same uncertainty as Katherine. "You think he'll charge you for this visit?" she asked her after a momentary pause.

Katherine snapped a look at her. "Nik —"

Then suddenly:

"_AAAAAGGGGGGGHHHHHHHH!"_

Both women jumped, startled by Alan's delayed scream.

"If he wasn't charging you before, he definitely is now." Nikkei said, hiding behind Katherine.

She snapped, "Nikkei, not the time for that! Zip it!"

Alan burst opened the door and slammed it shut behind him. He leaned against it, putting a hand on his pounding chest, and took in deep breaths as he tried to calm down. His wide-eyed shocked and confused expression were locked onto both women.

"Alan, we can explain." Katherine began, walking up to the doctor and putting her hands on his shoulders.

It didn't stop Nikkei from remarking: "Mostly Kat can, though."

"I don't care who explains it!" Alan exclaimed. "Just someone tell me _why_ there is a _Serpentine_ in there!"

Before Katherine could open her mouth, a knock came from behind the door of the bedroom. Alan spun around, moving Katherine behind him and backed away, his arm around her as if ready to push her out of the way of any potential threat.

"Before any more panic erupts," Pythor said from behind the door, "I would like to mention that I mean no harm...which I'm doubting you'll believe."

Katherine rolled her eyes loudly, as she put a hand on Alan's shoulder. "It's all right, Alan. The only thing you have to worry about from him is his mouth. He's a bit of an ass."

She moved and opened the door. Alan's eyes widened at Pythor's incredibly tall stature. He backed away a few steps again, his wide stare never falling from him.

"Alan, this is Pythor." Katherine introduced, walking beside the elderly man and putting a hand on his shoulder. "And your, well, patient."

"That you came to see unknowingly." Added Nikkei from the side.

Katherine whipped a warning glare at her. Nikkei's mouth shut tight and she stepped away.

Alan looked between Katherine and Pythor — afraid to take his eyes off the Serpentine but unable to keep from giving Katherine a confused look.

"H-How long has it been here?" he asked her.

Pythor's eye twitched at that. "_It?_ Are you serious?"

Alan quickly apologized. "O-Oh, pardon me. I mean, how long has _he_ been here?"

"Just for a few hours." Katherine answered. "But he got banged up pretty good a little while ago. We didn't really know what to do so we thought we'd bring in someone who would."

Alan gulped, and slowly looked back at Pythor. He took the time and study his composer. He was leaning against the doorway, clearly too weak to fully stay upright. He noticed the bandages, along with a few dark spots on parts of his body. Alan blinked, shifting from his defensive stance as he realized how banged up the Serpentine really was.

The old man sighed, and then he asked:

"Nikkei, grab my bag, won't you?"

Katherine gave him a smile.

"Thank you, Doc."

Alan nodded, rubbing the back of his neck tiredly. "Honestly, Katherine, I don't know where in the sand am I able to draw the line with you sometimes..."

Katherine nodded in agreement. "I know."

"So, outta pure curiosity, there's not gonna be a price marked at the end of all this...right, Alan?" Nikkei asked, as she handed him his medical bag.

Alan about chuckled at that. "How can there be? He's not exactly a pet."

Pythor rumbled. "If we're done here, I am actually in a lot of pain you know."

Katherine opened her mouth to snap, but Alan spoke up first.

"Oh, yes. Sorry for that. After you."

Pythor slithered back in the room. Alan leaned in close to Katherine, his voice a quiet whisper.

"Just to be safe, I don't have to worry about getting eaten alive or — at the very least, bitten — right?" he asked.

She shook her head. "No, but don't be afraid to knock him out when he starts whining, which is ten times more likely than him eating or biting you."

Doctor McKullan nodded, and then he went inside the room. He closed the door behind him.

Katherine stood there thoughtfully, with her arms crossed. She didn't notice Nikkei standing beside her. There was a silence between them.

"...I would have charged you double." Said Nikkei, nodding to herself.

Without warning, Katherine intentionally reeled her arm back and fiercely hit Nikkei right against her gut. Then she walked away, ignoring her friend's breathless groan of pain.

* * *

Pythor got back on the bed slowly, trying not to aggravate his injuries as he moved into his previously comfortable position. He winced, watching the Doctor pull out a few tools. He recognized only a pair of metal scissors, a large bottle and a bag of cotton balls. There were other things he had that he couldn't quite grasp as their purpose. All he knew was that they made him feel very nervous.

The Serpentine were somewhat old fashioned when it came to injuries. Unlike the humans, they relied more heavily on herbs to use on their injured. They had stolen many supplies of gauze and bandages in the past, which made healing much easier. They never stayed on for very long, at least when their dead skin would shed. After that, it was all a simple and easy process.

They never had any of the tools that the Doctor had.

Pythor gulped. If he was lucky enough, the old man would check him and say he had nothing to worry about...

He pulled up a chair beside the bed, unfolding a white sheet just in arm's reach. Then he placed the scissors, the bottle, a few bandages and a handful of cotton balls on top of it.

As he readjusted his gloves, Doctor McKullan asked, "How are you feeling?"

Pythor didn't sugarcoat his response.

"Terrible."

"Yes," nodded the Doctor in agreement. "It's been one of those days... Now, I know you already have bandages on, but I'm afraid I'm going to have to cut them off to inspect these injuries you have."

Pythor shrugged. "Do what you must."

Alan grabbed the scissors. "Let's start with these ones..." he started snipping the bandages protecting his gash.

Pythor was actually sort of glad he started with that one. It was clearly his worse injury, seeing that it hurt the most out of all his others. It still ached from his escapade outside; the pain that shot through it when he fell on the cold ground still plagued his mind. Just thinking about it brought back some of that ache. He winced slightly.

"Let me know if I hurt you at all," Doctor McKullan said, going about his work carefully.

Pythor nodded and hummed understandingly.

He wanted to lay there and rest, but he wasn't expecting the Doctor to be a conversationalist.

"Now, can you tell me what exactly happened to you?" he asked the Anacondrai. "Or at least about the kind of injuries you have?"

"Ah, well, under these bandages you're snipping, you'll find a gash that's very unpleasant on the eyes. I've also got a hole in my forearm here, and another on the beck of one of my shoulders. Save for a few bruises, that about covers it."

Alan looked up. "Holes?"

"Yes," answered Pythor. "I encountered a couple armed and dangerous authorities not too long before you showed up."

"How did you escape?"

Pythor paused a moment before nodding towards the door. "_She_ found me and...and brought me back here."

That sounded odd for him to say out loud. There wasn't a hint of sarcasm in his response either, nor was there anything disingenuous about his tone. Though it was hard to detect any sort of gratitude, no one would mistake it was there. As little as there was of it.

Alan raised a brow.

"The short, cynical one...Katherine." Pythor clarified.

The Doctor blinked, seemingly surprised by that. "Huh...interesting." He said.

Pythor raised an eye ridge, but then he shrugged, ignoring it. The old man finished cutting the bandages. He started inspecting the wound. Pythor risked a look. The gash was more red than before — he could tell right off the bat that it was infected. There were even specs of dirt and rocks in it, obviously from when he fell outside.

Doctor McKullan adjusted the glasses on his face. "How did you get this?" he asked, turning to Pythor.

Pythor was reluctant a moment, caught off guard by the concern in the old man's voice. He shook his head to snap out of it.

"I...I can't quite remember." He lied, but pulling it off so believably well. "So many things happened at once..."

Alan nodded at him slowly. "All right..." he looked back the the injury. "I'll need to clean this."

He grabbed the water, a few cotton balls, a small cutting knife and a brown bottle.

Pythor gulped at the sight of the knife.

He grabbed the water and poured it into the gash. It overflowed, some of the dirt and rocks spilling out in the towel beneath his side. The Doctor tenderly dabbed it dry with another clean rag. Once that was finished, he started inspecting it again.

Pythor kept looking between him and the knife, inwardly praying he wasn't going to use that on it. Pythor felt he had been through enough for one day. The last thing he wanted was to get prodded by a knife, even if it was for medical purposes.

"How do you feel about Katherine?" the Doctor asked suddenly, getting Pythor's attention.

"Huh? Oh, her." The worry on his face changed into dissatisfaction. "She's tolerable, to a degree at least."

Alan brought the brown bottle closer to him before grabbing a cotton ball. Pythor watched him press it on top of the bottle, followed by pressing down a few times. Now in his hand was a wet cotton ball.

"Yeah, Katherine can be a pistol from time to time." He admitted, but with a friendly smile. "Now, forewarning, this is going to sting."

Pythor didn't bat an eye. "Thanks for sugarcoating that."

The Doctor nodded. "You'll need it."

In the next second, he brought the wet cotton ball to the gash and started cleaning it. There surfaced a cluster of white, hissing bubbles. With them brought a sting that grew stronger with each growing moment.

Pythor clenched his teeth together and choked back the pain. He closed his eyes to help block it out.

"Hang on," the Doctor assured. "Almost done..."

Pythor wasn't sure when that would be, but he never made a sound nevertheless.

He heard him grab something. Pythor opened one eye to see Alan pour water over the injury again to wash out the peroxide. It helped ease the stinging, allowing Pythor to start relaxing.

"Believe me," Alan said, "you'll be happy I did that."

Once again Pythor glanced at the knife. "I hope you won't be needing that..."

Doctor McKullan saw him nod towards the knife. "Oh, no." He assured, shaking his head. "The injury isn't that infected. You were lucky, though. Had you waited, who knows how bad it would have gotten."

Pythor relaxed even more.

"You also won't be needing stitches." Alan said. "The injury isn't too deep, thankfully. Just padding and bandages."

He went over to his bag. Alan brought back his own roll of bandages and a box thicker gauze pads. He taped a large pad over the injury, and then asked Pythor to sit up just enough for him to wrap the bandages around his torso. It took a few minutes, but Alan finished cleanly.

Pythor was able to lay back down.

One injury down, two more to go.

He undid the bandages around his arm and saw the bullet wound. Alan had brought his bag over, knowing he would need his utensils, and pulled out a flashlight and a magnifying glass. He peered closely, and then he made a face, clicking his tongue.

"Oh boy..." mumbled the old man.

Pythor grew worried. He watched the old man set those down and started searching in his medical bag for another thing. Before the Serpentine could ask what was wrong, Alan pulled out a steel utensil. The nose of it was long.

Pythor's eyes widened at it. "What's that for?" he swallowed.

"This plier," Alan explained, "will be used to remove the bullet pieces in your arm."

His eyes grew wider, his mouth dropping. "Remove the _what?_"

Doctor McKullan pulled out a tiny bottle of another sort of liquid and poured it over the pliers. "You'll be all right. There's only a few. I'll need your arm."

Pythor, although reluctant, laid his arm over the towel. Alan poured the bottle over the bullet hole, and the Serpentine was once again choking back pain. After he set a small glass bowl beside it, the Doctor began pulling out the pieces.

"This one doesn't seem to be that deep either," he noted, dropping a small metal fragment into the glass bowl.

"What a relief..." Pythor cringed.

"All right," Alan said, "last one...there we go."

Pythor looked over at the bowl. There were four shattered, bloody pieces of bullet in it. Alan wrapped his arm up in another gauze and bandages.

"Now, where did you say the other one was?" he asked.

Pythor slowly laid flat on his stomach. Alan saw the bandages and started snipping them off. Once again there were bullet shards that needed to be taken out. This one had split down the middle and cracked in two. It didn't take long to remove them and for Alan to bandage it up.

He helped Pythor sit back up. He laid against the pillow and gave a low groan, now more exhausted than ever before. The Anacondrai watched as the Doctor began cleaning everything up, taking the towel and placing it, along with the utensils he used, into a zip-up bag.

"You should start to feel better in a few days," Alan said, dropping these things back in his bag. "I am going to write you a prescription for antibiotics because that injury on your side was pretty nasty, as lucky as you were. Also, I recommend not to move around very much or do any heavy lifting."

"I assure you," Pythor chuckled, amused at the way the old man was lecturing him, "I'll be fine after getting some sleep. Then I'll be on my way in the morning."

Alan looked up at the Serpentine. Pythor studied the look in his eyes, and his eye crests slightly furrowed. He didn't like the expression on his face. The old man looked like he was about to give him some bad news...

"I'm afraid," he began, standing up, "the only part of that plan you'll be able to follow through with is getting rest."

"What do you mean?" questioned Pythor.

But Alan went towards the door, ignoring Pythor for just a few minutes.

* * *

Nikkei and Katherine had stayed in the living room for the past half hour. When they got bored watching TV, they started playing darts. It was zero against twenty.

Katherine threw her dart. It hit the board, landing more than an inch or two further than Nikkei's.

Make that zero to twenty-one.

Nikkei groaned in defeat. "Dang it."

Katherine smirked at her. "Hey, come on. At least you're hitting more in the triple ring nowadays."

"I even got a dart board, too..."

"Practice makes perfect. That's how it worked for me."

"Well, I said I _got_ a dart board. That doesn't mean I use it..."

Katherine, her smirk flat and gone, gave her a look.

"What? It looks nice on my wall." She shrugged.

Katherine sighed and shook her head.

Then they heard a knock from the bedroom and both looked up. Alan was standing in the doorway.

"Katherine, Nikkei, I need to speak to you both."

They glanced at each other, the same questioning and confused expressions on their faces. Together they went into the spare bedroom.

Katherine saw Pythor bandaged up. Alan had done a better job than she thought he would. But Pythor seemed just as confused as her and Nikkei. She looked back over at Alan, who was gathering his things together.

"Alan?" she asked.

He walked over to Katherine and handed her a sheet of paper. There was a weird, yet familiar-sounding name written on it.

"That is the name of an antibiotic I'm going to have mailed to your apartment." Alan told her. "It will be here in a few days."

Katherine, taken aback, blinked at the old man. "Mailed here?"

He nodded. "I also think you should buy more pain medication. He'll need it when those injuries start to hurt."

Her mouth was agape. She looked between Alan and Pythor, a slight panic starting to rise in her. Then Katherine shook her head at the old man in absolute refusal.

"No, no, no." She said. Katherine pointed her thumb towards the Serpentine. "Alan, he-he can't stay with me. He _can't._"

The Doctor shook his head back at her slowly. "I'm afraid he has to, Katherine."

They were surprised when Pythor spoke up.

"I can't stay here!" he exclaimed, sitting up. "I don't want to be in this city any longer than I should!"

Katherine was never more happy to hear him speak. She looked back at Alan. "See? Even he doesn't want to be here, Alan."

"Katherine, I can understand why you don't want him here. But neither of you have a choice in the matter."

"Alan." Katherine said. She pointed towards her dented wall. "Look, you see that? _He_ did that. I can't afford to keep him here!"

Pythor rolled his eyes and sneered at her. "It almost wasn't going to be the wall..."

Katherine, hearing that, pointed at Pythor again.

"Okay, look at what I've been dealing with for the past two hours." She emphasized. "Who knows how long this Serpentine hunt will last. I'll lose my mind, Alan. If he wasn't such an ass I wouldn't mind letting him stay."

"At least I don't complain about every little detail!" Pythor retorted.

"That's bull and you know it!" she shot back. "You couldn't even tie one of your own bandages without whining like a spoiled brat!"

"I was in pain, you senseless witch!"

Katherine glared. "Oh, here we go with the whining again." She turned to Alan. "Tell me, you think his kind wouldn't whine so much, right? Maybe the Serpentine aren't all they're cracked up to be."

Pythor was losing his patients. "Said the one upset over a damn dent in a wall!"

Katherine walked up to him. "Not to mention he was beyond ungrateful as I was saving him from the same people that were shooting at him. I should have ditched you when I had the chance."

Pythor craned his neck up until he was right in her face. "How could I not lose my patients when my rescuer couldn't find her own way home?" he snapped. "Had it not been for her friend we would have both been caught thanks to her incompetence."

"Maybe if someone had kept his voice down —"

"Maybe if someone had better directions —"

Nikkei and Doctor McKullan were both silent. They watched the two bicker at each other with the most fretful and skeptical expressions. He leaned in closer and whispered to Nikkei:

"Do they do this often?"

She nodded. "Yeah. They, uh, don't get along. Obviously."

"I see..."

Then Nikkei asked, "You sure them living under the same roof together is a good idea? I mean, I know it's temporary, but seriously? They're like two predators fighting for dominance in the same habitat."

Alan only sighed, putting a hand on his hip. "Well, first things first."

He reached into his pocket and pulled out a mini, pocket sized air horn. Alan gave Nikkei the chance to cover her ears before he set it off.

The loud sound made Pythor and Katherine jump. They quit their bantering and looked at Alan, startled.

"Now that that's done with..." he calmly put the air horn back in his pocket. This was the first time Alan ever used it on people fighting with each other. Normally he pulled it out when two animals started fighting in his clinic. But the result seemed to be the same both ways.

The old man put his hands out to try to calm the alarmed atmosphere. His sensible tone was directed to both Katherine and Pythor.

"Listen, I understand that this is a very pressuring and complicated situation. But there is a full-on Serpentine hunt out there. Everyone is on high alert, and any Serpentine found will be put into custody. You were lucky enough to get away with the injuries you have, but there's a good chance that luck won't work again." Alan said to Pythor.

The Anacondrai clenched his teeth, wanting to argue. But he knew the old man had a point. Thanks to him, the Serpentine were now public enemy number one. Those humans were anything but civil towards him when they spotted him. It made him wonder if they had treated another of his people like that...

He clenched his hand, clutching the sheet tightly. His arm trembled at the thought.

"Then why don't you take him, Alan?" suggested Katherine. She was determined to think of another option by any means necessary.

The Doctor shook his head again, this time crossing his arms in the process. "You know I can't, Katherine."

"But-but..."

Katherine finally sighed in defeat, her demeanor slouching. She rubbed a temple, feeling her headache starting to come back. In truth, Katherine wasn't all that surprised. _Of course_ this wasn't going at all how she planned. When did things _ever _go as she expected?

She glanced over at the Serpentine. He wasn't looking at anyone, just looking down with his hand clenching the sheets. Maybe he was bummed about this too...

After another sigh, Katherine nodded. "Okay, okay...I get it." Her tone was somewhat despondent.

Alan nodded at her, giving an admirable smile. He patted her shoulder, giving her as much assurance as he could. Then he went over to Pythor. When the Serpentine looked up at him, Alan tilted his head and even gave him a polite smile.

"I suppose I'll be on my way now." Alan glanced at his wrist watch. "As should all of you. Katherine, remember to change those bandages daily. If something happens, call me. I'll be around to answer the phone."

"Thanks, Doctor." Katherine said.

Alan waved a politely dismissive hand. Then Alan stopped, when he remembered:

"Oh, and you might want to get him a cane. The less leaning he does on his bad side the better."

With that said, he gave them all one last smile. "Have a good...uh, morning? I'll see myself out."

Alan walked out of the room. A door opening and shutting was not far behind afterwards.

Nikkei cleared her throat. "I should, uh, probably get going, too." She said, approaching Katherine. "We've both earned some rest."

Katherine nodded in agreement. "Yeah. Thanks for all the help, Nikkei. I owe you one."

She grinned. "You can make it up to me by letting me win at a game of darts for once."

"I suppose that could be arranged." Chuckled Katherine, glad to be able to laugh in this situation.

Nikkei smiled at that, and then she gave her a tight hug. She patted her on the back a little.

"Get some rest." She told Katherine.

"You too. But what about...?"

"I'll cover for you. Don't worry."

They let go. Before Nikkei walked out, she looked over at Pythor. She gave him a friendly nod of acknowledgment.

"Try not to kill each other, okay you two?" she said to the both, and then left them be.

The silence between Pythor and Katherine was so immense they heard Nikkei open and close the door as clear as day. Neither of them looked at each other. Neither of them even wanted to. Pythor and Katherine barely knew each other and already they were sick of the other.

A dread expanded over atop both their heads, pouring down on them like the rain outside.


	7. Chapter Six

**Disclaimer****: I do not own any of the original "Ninjago: Masters of Spintizu" characters, nor do I own the original settings. I only own Katherine, Beck, Nikkei and Doctor Alan McKullan.**

* * *

**SIX — "Shame"**

_Pythor's heart was heavy..._

_He slithered amongst the rubble like a ghost, roaming through the wreckage of a once great temple. From large boulders to the tiniest bits of gravel lied upon the ground. There was nothing, save for destruction, all around. Paintings and markings were imprinted upon the broken, fragmented stones; of tall purple serpents, and some carrying the familiar five-circled symbol. He traced a black claw along the markings as he slithered past them..._

_Pythor, undoubtedly from an onlooker, would be mistaken for a ghost that roamed through the place he — that all the Anacondrai — once called, simply "Home"._

_Somehow, though, he saw there was still one thing intact. He was drawn to it, like a moth to a flame. Pulled along by a string invisible to even his sharp eyes._

_It stood among the devastation, like the ultimate power it symbolized. Untouched. Unscathed._

_Pythor stopped and slowly traced his hand over the throne of his people. Unlike the temple which had been built with stone, their ageless throne had been constructed with jade. That way, no matter what force came, it would still remain._

_It seems it fully lived up to its purpose..._

_The jade was cold against his scales. Pythor might as well had been touching ice. He brushed off the debris it was covered in before sitting ever so gently down in it. The throne had been built just for a Serpentine his size — a throne fit for a General. He paid no mind to the cold as he gazed out at the destruction, his heart growing heavier and heavier. It had taken years of hard labor and a massive fortitude of determination to build their temple. He didn't want to imagine how short of time it took for it all to be destroyed. It would be too painful. His aching heart hurt enough._

_Pythor remembered how tall the walls were, and that parts of their history were painted and engraved on the stone. He would trace his fingers across them as a child. He could still imagine the beauty of his home and in all its glory, surrounded by Anacondrai. How long had it been since he'd last seen these walls, or the paintings?_

_Even he couldn't remember, exactly..._

_He leaned back against the jade thrown, succumbing to the wave of memories. Pythor could picture his Tribe roaming through their temple, their smiling faces, their children playing together...he remembered how he had sat here, with his back straight with confidence and his gaze a powerful one — the look of a once great General._

_Pythor's hands tensed, his claws sharp enough enough to leave scratch marks on the arms of the throne. Great anger burned like wildfire inside of him. Had there have been a human anywhere in his sight, Pythor wouldn't hesitate. They would become part of the memories._

_Sadly, there wasn't a single human within miles from here. There was nothing Pythor could physically attack, nothing that could take away the weight pressing down heavily on his heart. Tears burned in his eyes, but he dared not let them fall. Generals never cried, never showed any sort of weakness — especially in trying times like these._

_He was an Anacondrai, and he needed to act as one._

_A true Anacondrai would never allow his weak emotions to take over. No matter how overwhelming they felt._

_Pythor had to keep them buried, keep them hidden from everyone, himself including._

_His whole body started shaking at this point, as he fought back the want to scream out and cry. He couldn't let his childish needs overtake him. He was a General now, and he needed to act like one!_

_He never would have..._

_Pythor stopped that thought...as he remembered one of the most haunting words that had been so venomously, so vehemently spat at him:_

_'I wish Hydras was still our General! Hydras would have saved us!'_

_Pythor could recall how devastating of a blow that was. He still felt it, even now. He'd hoped finally leaving his tomb would put away those memories but lately they felt stronger, as if unhinged by freedom itself. They kept him up at night, forbidding any sort of relaxation._

_It was amazing he hadn't entirely lost his mind at this point..._

_Unbeknownst to Pythor, these memories eased the fiery rage building in him. He sat — as a motionless form — on the jade thrown._

_"...A sssight sssuch asss thisss can take it out of any SSSerpentine, apparently."_

_Pythor, slightly started, quickly looked over to find Skales slithering towards him. He bore the same heavyhearted expression._

_The Anacondrai said nothing, as he averted his eyes to the side._

_"They sssought out and destroyed each temple sssoon after imprisssoning usss." Skales told him, his voice heavy with emotion. "All five templesss...all our history and memoriesss...gone."_

_Pythor's eyes widened at that, but he wasn't surprised. Of course the people of Ninjago would do something as heartless as that. Still...he'd hoped. As foolish as that was. He didn't want to imagine how the other Serpentine must have reacted when they found their homes completely in shambles. It would have made his heart even heavier._

_Skales looked at him for a moment. _

_"...We sssearched, high and low, but I'm afraid there isss no sssign of any other Anacondrai anywhere." Skales informed him, following through with the orders Pythor had given him a day before coming here._

_"You looked everywhere?" Pythor insisted. "As far into the Sea of Sands as you all could?"_

_Skales nodded. "There were no othersss."_

_Pythor sighed, and started rubbing a temple. It made no sense. If his Tribe was sealed away, then so would have..._

_"No." He said, shaking his head. "You'll all have to search again."_

_"Pythor —"_

_"And this time head further out. Spread the search party out, have them search every crevice of Ninjago if you must!"_

_Skales looked at him, those swirled eyes narrowing with great suspicion. There was a pause. A debate seemed to be taking place in the Hypnobrai's mind. There was something going on behind that stare, Pythor could feel it._

_The Anacondrai turned away, but his glare refused to leave Skales. Finally, after almost a minute, Pythor was fed up._

_"Whatever you want to say," he rumbled in a low voice, "say it. If you feel you're man enough."_

_That nicked at Skales' pride. Pythor saw an eye ridge twitch for a split second._

_"Asss sssuspicious asss I still am about your missing Tribe," he began, "there isss sssomething elssse I have been wondering about you..."_

_Pythor was silent, as he and Skales stared each other down. He wanted to hear what the "General" had to say._

_"From what I recall of the Anacondrai Tribe, you were all claimed to be not only the first Tribe of SSSerpentine but the largest asss well. Your numbersss sssurpassed all the other Tribesss individually. And judging by the sssize of your tomb, it wasss built to contain only a fraction of that number."_

_Pythor's stare instinctively widened at the mere mention of his tomb. He could feel his heart begin to pound in his chest. He didn't tell them to investigate the tomb — **why did he disobey him?**_

_"And inssside we found sssomething...disturbing."_

_His body tensed. How? How? How? HOW?!_

_Pythor locked that door! He locked it before searching for the last sealed tombs!_

HOW?

_Pythor turned to Skales, the alarm — the anger — written all over his face._

_The two Generals were in a dead eye lock for a few moments._

_"I asssume," Skales said, in a very even tone, "what I sssaw in there wasss an example of the creed you lived by...'only one can remain'. That wasss it, right?"_

_Pythor was doing well to subdue his rage. Even young Anacondrai children knew their creed by heart. As warriors, they needed something to live by when facing Death in battle._

_Strangely, hearing another Serpentine say it only made his anger grow._

_"To think," Skales continued, after a brief pause, his disdain now clear, "sssuch a great Tribe wasss diminished ssso easssily. Granted, we lost companionsss too, but we made sssure to never lossse another life again. All four Tribes held out without you. Ironic, don't you think? You Anacondrai looked down on everyone, and now all that arrogance ssseems to have finally caught up with —"_

_Pythor had heard enough. He went off, as fast as the trigger of a gun. Grabbing an oblivious Skales, he pinned him against the nearest object, his hand pressing over his eyes so he wouldn't use his powers. His staff dropping to the ground between them. There was no warning of Pythor's actions, and no sign of mercy anywhere in his cold expression. But the rage was there, in his glowing eyes._

_If they had the power, Skales would be dead at the spot._

_Skales struggled, trying to pry his hand off from his face. But Pythor was fueled by anger, making every muscle in his body as strong as steel._

_"Listen. Now." Pythor growled, tightening his grip on the Hypnobrai. "You're talking a lot about something you know nothing of. I don't care what you think. I don't care what you saw. There isn't a thing you can say to me that will make my regret any heavier than it already is. No one is ever prepared for the worst of things to happen. What I saw unfold inside our tomb are things you would see in your most frightening nightmares. But can you imagine it? Watching your people rip each other apart, helpless as they tear into the ones they loved. Can your naive mind comprehend such a thing happening?"_

_"M-Mercy...!" Skales pleaded._

_Pythor's expression only hardened. Once again, he didn't have a choice in the matter. Killing Skales (as good as it would have made him feel) would only come back to haunt him at a later date. He couldn't afford suspicion. Not now, at least._

_He let go of Skales, letting him drop to the ground._

_Skales caught his breath, putting a hand on his beating heart. He then looked up at Pythor, all the disdain he carried was gone._

_"My kind may have been arrogant," Pythor said in a harsh tone of voice, "but at least we didn't beg for mercy from those stronger than us."_

_Skales looked away, still catching his breath. He reached for his staff. The moment he took a hold of it, Pythor slammed his tail on it, getting the Hypnobrai's attention once more._

_This time they were face to face, Pythor keeping his head just a little higher over his as he maintained their fierce eye contact._

_"Whoever went inside the tomb with you will forget ever seeing it." He ordered. "And tomorrow you will search further, I don't care how many search parties are sent. Until I say otherwise, you will do it."_

_Pythor let go of his staff and turned, starting for the other direction..._

* * *

Pythor quietly opened his door half way, peering through the crack to look into the living room. The only light was from the television, playing a show that didn't interest him at all.

He opened it further to get a better look inside. Laying on the couch was Katherine, who seemed to be fast asleep. He wasn't sure how she was, considering there was a Serpentine in her home... He opened the door more and quietly slithered out.

Pythor headed for the bathroom. He flicked the light on and closed the door lightly to not make a lot of noise. It was small, too small for him anyway. He had to lower his head to keep from bumping into the ceiling. Since he woke up from his deep sleep, there was a thought weighing on his mind. Pythor knew if he didn't satisfy it, then there would be no chance of him falling back asleep.

Looking over at the mirror, he took in a deep breath. Slowly, closing his eyes, Pythor slithered in front of it. Already, his heart was pumping. He gripped the sink, tensing at the thought of opening his eyes...

_I can't wait forever,_ he figured, thinking that would make it easier. _I have to get it over with now._

He opened his eyes...and he almost didn't recognize the person looking back at him. He looked faded, he looked worn but — if anything — he looked pathetic. Just a forgotten, decrepit symbol of false hope. It was a wonder this person was still alive.

Pythor, yet again, thought back to it all. Where — at what point — was the sign he'd end up here? That he'd become...this?

He traced his claws over the bandages Alan had so graciously applied. Even that was a wonder. These humans and their strange, morally backwards generosity. Alan, being doctor, of course had a natural instinct to aid those in medical need. He was the only human Pythor could make any sense out of.

Turning the sink on, he cupped his hands under the faucet and took a drink.

Then, out of his own curiosity, Pythor tried once again to turn himself invisible. He narrowed his eyes to concentrate. The pulse went through his body, he felt it, but suddenly there came a sharp pain. Pythor gasped, wincing, and leaned against the sink to keep from tumbling over. He panted.

He turned up to the mirror again, letting the pain die down.

There really was no way out of here...even his own ability had failed him...

He slithered out, shutting the light off in the process.

Pythor looked over at Katherine. She was still fast asleep, now facing away from the Television. Quietly, he slithered to her couch, which was unclear even to him. He stared down at her.

He didn't see the wooden bat just underneath the blanket, or that Katherine was clinging to it and pretending to be asleep. Like she was going to get any sort of sleep with a Serpentine in her house...

She felt Pythor staring at her. Her heart started pounding, and she quietly swallowed. Her hands tightened around her bat.

A full minute passed, and Pythor hadn't moved from that spot.

If there was anything that didn't make sense to him, it was her.

She didn't want him staying here, clearly didn't enjoy his company (which the feeling was mutual) but in spite of that, she was letting Pythor stay. It was perplexing. He couldn't wrap his mind around it. Why would she give him shelter when she despised him?

In the midst of trying to find the sense in her actions, Pythor noticed something on her nightstand. It was a picture frame.

Out of an impulse of curiosity, he picked it up. It was obviously taken earlier in the year. There were only three people in the photo: Katherine in the middle, the woman named Nikkei on her right and a young man on her left. A pond was behind them, along with part of a large tree. He could tell they were happy, judging by the beaming smiles on their faces.

Then he noticed there was an even smaller picture stuck in a corner of the frame. This one only showed Katherine standing beside an even older man with dark facial hair.

This must be her father... Pythor deduced. He could see the resemblance. Not just by hair color but in the face as well. They had the same nose.

Pythor, unbeknownst to him, felt a slight envy as he stared at her photo. Memories started coming back, of a time he knew he could never go back to...

Finally, he placed the frame back on the nightstand.

Pythor gave Katherine one last glance, before quietly slithering back to his room. He shut the door behind him.

The moment she heard that door close, Katherine let out the breath she had been holding.

She sat up, able to hear her chest pound in her head. Katherine looked towards his door, and then sighed in relief. That could've been bad.

_Still...I wonder why he didn't..._

Katherine stopped that thought. She had had enough for one night.

Moving the bat over more, she laid back down. Maybe if she was lucky, she'd wake up and find out this was all a bad dream.

…

She doubted that, but it was a nice thought all the same. At least it helped her to sleep.

* * *

_Pythor let go of his staff and turned, starting for the other direction. He was convinced that the Hypnobrai wouldn't have the gull to speak another word to him, until:_

_"Just asss I thought — you are a lot like him."_

_Pythor stopped at that. He glanced at Skales over his shoulder, glaring._

_"You thought it wasssn't obvious?" Skales said as he got back up. "My father fought bessside Hydrasss during the SSSerpnetine War. He told me how valiantly he lead hisss armada into battle, back when he wasss a real General."_

_Pythor felt his claws tense..._

_"Hydrasss wasss reluctant too." Skales continued. "SSSomewhere in the yearsss he grew sssoft, ssso sssoft he called a retreat in the middle of ba —"_

_Pythor heard enough. With his sharp speed, he swung his tail and smacked the Hypnobrai across the face. It cracked it like a whip over his skin. Skales hit the ground hard, cringing from the stinging pain on the side of his face. He could feel the blood drip down the side of his jaw. He coughed and winced from the pain in his lungs._

_If there was ever a moment that Skales could see he'd crossed a line, it was when he looked into Pythor's eyes. Any sign of mercy was gone from that gaze, as it burned with cold hatred. Skales felt the chill of fear tremble through his body. There was no time to act before Pythor's tail wrapped around his neck._

_Then he squeezed._

_Skales' swirled eyes bulged wide and he gagged. He frantically gasped for air, saliva starting to seep from the side of his mouth._

_"You should have kept your mouth shut while you still had the chance." Pythor rumbled. He lifted Skales up to his eye level, his grip never loosening around his neck._

_He raised an eye ridge as he noticed the General breathlessly trying to say something. Pythor — generously — relaxed his grip just a little._

_Skales sucked in as much air as he was allowed._

_"I...I w-want to make a d-deal...!" he stammered, struggling to speak and keep his neck tight at the same time._

_"Why would I ever take up any proposition with you?" Pythor questioned, crossing his arms._

_"Th-The othersss, I can-can help you win their favor!"_

_He paused at that, debating for a moment..._

_Pythor rolled his eyes, and then he dropped the Hypnobrai, who fell like a rag doll on the ground._

_Skales — a coughing mess — sucked in deep, heavy breaths. He was doubled over, with a hand around his sore neck. He looked up at Pythor weakly. There wasn't a single ounce of sympathy in those glowing violet eyes._

_"How would you be of any help?" the Anacondrai demanded, his glare narrowing suspiciously._

_"Y-You think that becaussse you're an Anacondrai they'll just bend on one knee and obey your every command?" Skales retorted, hoarsely. "T-Timesss have changed, Pythor. They-They won't b-be won ssso easssily."_

_"What does that have to do with you?"_

_Skales took in another heavy breath, before sitting up a little._

_"Like-Like I sssaid, I can help you convince them to follow you. I can tell you what to sssay to them — I know how each of the other Tribesss can be. You'll need me!"_

_Pythor's look never changed._

_"And..." Skales looked directly into his eyes. "I won't tell any of them you're Hydrasss' boy. In fact, I'll deny it if the other Generalsss start asssking questionsss."_

_That made Pythor's expression change slightly. A part of him was enraged that he'd once again deliberately mentioned his father but, at the same time, he was...somewhat intrigued by this offer. If not a little relieved to have someone on the inside._

_But there was no way he could trust him. Hypnobrai had a history of disloyalty..._

_He watched Skales lift a hand up to him. "Have we got a deal?"_

_Pythor, almost immediately, sneered. Then he turned and slithered off, without any second thought. He didn't need a second in command. Pythor was fully confident in himself and his own capabilities._

_He alone would unite the Tribes, no matter what it took._


	8. Chapter Seven

**Disclaimer****: I do not own any of the original "Ninjago: Masters of Spintizu" characters, nor do I own the original settings. I only own Katherine, Beck, Nikkei and Doctor Alan McKullan.**

* * *

**SEVEN — "House Guest"**

Pythor was out like a light, peacefully slumbering away. At some point, he noticed how heavy his chest felt. And there was a soft, rhythmic breathing. He thought it was just his imagination, so he decided to ignore it.

But it kept going, like the quietest car engine in the world. Pythor didn't realize something was off until the heaviness shifted, moving down over on his stomach. His brain started kicking in out of sleep-mode. This couldn't still be his imagination...

Finally, Pythor opened his eyes. They widened not a second later at seeing a smokey-gray mass of fur laying on top of him. Startled, he jolted —

_BANG!_

Pythor whacked his head against the headboard, for the _second_ time. He'd startled the cat as well. It ran off him the moment he moved, like a gray bullet. He cringed, moaning at the pain in the top of his head.

There wasn't a moment of peace as Katherine frantically slammed open the door with her bat in hand, scaring Pythor to jump and bang his head against the head board again. That one didn't hurt so bad, thanks to the previous whack.

"I heard a crash! What's going on?" Katherine shouted, with the hysteria of a mad woman as she held her bat over her shoulder like an insane baseball player.

"There's a filthy animal in here!" Pythor snapped. "That's what's going on!"

Katherine paused for a brief moment of question, before looking around the room for said "filthy animal". Aside from Pythor, there was no animal at present. She gave him a skeptic look, with a hint of irritation for being so horribly woken up.

"Uhh...?"

The Anacondrai groaned, loudly rolling his eyes at the annoying woman. It was too early in the morning for this nonsense!

"Did you have, like, a nightmare or something?" she asked him, unafraid to show her attitude back at him.

"No," he growled, pinching the bridge of his snout as he tried to keep from lashing out, "I woke up to a hairy, disgusting animal laying on my chest and –"

Pythor's mouth snapped shut the second a small sound piped up from under the bed. Both he and Katherine looked over and found a gray cat poking it's head out at them. It's eyes were a bright yellow, round and young with interest.

It meowed again.

"Hey, Minnie." Katherine smiled, kneeling down and taking the cat in her arms. "How did you get in here, huh?"

The cat purred and nuzzled under her chin. Katherine scratched the back of her neck tenderly, and then she gave the Anacondrai a side-glance.

"This is what freaked you out so bad you screamed?" she questioned, her tone filled with cruel judgment. "Are you serious?"

Pythor scowled. "I don't like cats," he rumbled, flashing a glare of disgust at the feline for a brief moment, "I detest everything about them."

Katherine snorted. "Well, she likes you. Then again, Minnie likes everyone. What she sees in you though is beyond me."

Pythor's jaw tightened at that remark. He once again rolled his eyes.

"Just keep that filthy thing away from me." He said, as he gingerly sat up and tried to get comfortable.

"Why?" Katherine challenged, grinning. "Afraid the big, mean kitty will attack you in your sleep?"

He clicked his tongue irritably and kept from looking at her, knowing all too well just glancing at that woman would tempt him to do something he knew he would regret later. She had no idea how _lucky_ she was that Pythor had such a firm grip on his self control. Although he had a suspicious feeling every ounce of it would wither away during his stay with her.

Katherine chuckled at him. Anyone would have called her insane for intentionally trying to aggravate a Serpentine — especially one as threatening as him — but she didn't find him terrifying at all. Not even a little. He was just a spoiled toddler who was whining for attention. In truth, however, she preferred being stuck with a toddler rather than a bloodthirsty monster.

Annoying him would end with a tantrum, not a potentially life-threatening wound.

"I mean it, woman." Pythor warned, still keeping his eyes off her and that condescending look. "I want that thing as far from me as possible."

"Yeah, I heard you the first time, your majesty." Katherine retorted, holding Minnie close to her. "Man, a huge whiner _and_ feline-phobic. Once again my expectations of Serpentine have been surpassed."

It was her last word before walking out and shutting the door behind her.

Pythor tensed a fist, clenching the sheet under him. She was certainly surpassing his own expectations, as well. He would be counting down the days until he could leave this wretched woman.

Little did he know, so was Katherine. Placing Minnie on her counter, she grabbed a can of cat food and dumped it into her bowl. Then she started making hers and...the Serpentine's breakfast. She leaned against her counter while waiting for the bread to toast. Katherine's mind began wandering.

Last night constantly replayed in her mind. It all felt like a bad dream — the giant monster attack, being threatened by a Serpentine and taking it in as her temporary room mate...no one could think of a scenario more outrageous.

Katherine was still waiting for that climactic split-second where she'd wake up in a startle from this nightmare, but the only thing that made her jump a little was the toast popping out from the toaster. She sighed quietly, rubbing her forehead tiredly. As nice of a thought as that was, Katherine knew this was all real.

No matter how much she wished otherwise.

Grabbing a plate, she quickly snagged the hot toast and dropped them on it. Then Katherine grabbed strawberry jam from her fridge. As she spread it over the toast, her gaze kept nervously wandering at the door to the guest bedroom – or, she should say: the Serpentine's bedroom.

Katherine grabbed him a glass of water. _Not only am I sheltering this jerk,_ she thought bitterly, _but I'm serving him breakfast in bed, too. Even after he stalked over me while I slept like some creep..._

That made her stop a moment. She glanced towards the photo Pythor had looked at. What about it did he find so fascinating that he stared at it for a full twenty minutes...?

The thought stopped when she overflowed the glass. Wiping her mess and drying her hands, she put the question in the back of her mind. _He's weird. Why should I question something a weird guy does?_

Katherine was about to grab the painkillers until she heard the door open. She turned to see the Serpentine slowly slithering to the counter. The pain was there on his face as he tried to hide his struggle. One would assume Katherine would be gentle and comforting to him...

"What the hell are you doing?" she demanded, almost similar to a snap.

Pythor made it all the way to the counter, stopping to catch his breath and relax off his bad side as much as possible. He winced as he gave Katherine a brief glare. "W-What does it look like? I'm in pain and-and I need – "

"These?" Katherine showed him the bottle of pain killers. She kept them just out of his reach intentionally. "You can't take these on an empty stomach, moron. I was on my way in there to give you this, but since you came all the way out here..."

She pushed the plate of food to him. Pythor, with an irritable rumble, pushed it back at her in a heartbeat. He almost knocked if off the counter, had Katherine not acted fast with her sharp reflexes and caught the plate just before it went over.

"I didn't ask you to serve me." Pythor hissed, his voice somewhat hoarse from the pain. "Do me a favor, _woman_, and keep your pity to yourself. I'm injured, but not helpless."

It took great restraint for Katherine to keep cool. She licked her lips, her jaw tight. If there was a type of person she hated with a fiery passion, it was everything this Serpentine was so far. Ungrateful. Everything in her once beautifully normal life was now at stake thanks to him, and here he was angry at her for being considerate enough to make him breakfast.

Katherine sat down on the stood beside her counter, keeping her anger in check as much as possible. But the frustration was there, in its own (slightly) passive-aggressive form of a shrug. "Okay, fine. You don't want what I made you? Then help yourself, man. Make your own damn breakfast."

She helped herself to the toast.

Pythor ignored her. He went for the pain killers, wanting those to get a head start in his system as quick as possible. But Katherine snatched those at the last second. That single action set loose such a frightening glare from the Anacondrai. Yet she didn't bat a nervous look at him, which only made Pythor hate her more.

"Eat something first." She ordered firmly, chewing on a piece of toast. "Then you get these."

She wasn't even doing this to make any sort of point – just for the sake of pissing him off.

Pythor's claws tightened, and he made a low snarl at Katherine. But she ignored him, going back to eating her food, followed by a sip of the water originally meant for him. His hatred for this woman was piling by the second. The worst of it was, there was nothing Pythor could do about it.

Just moving made his side hurt incredulously, not to mention he was still mentally drained for last night. He'd need to be in better health to even grab her.

Pythor straightened himself slowly, mentally preparing for all the pain he was about to put himself through. Proving to this woman how self-sufficient he was sounded better than letting his instincts rule him. For the time being, anyway.

He used the counter for support as he slithered around it. Pythor used his tail to open her fridge once he was close enough. The food in there didn't look bad, however they were things he had never tried before. Pythor wasn't a fan of most human foods, save for the sweets he and Lloyd ransacked that day during his ploy to "befriend" the boy. Some of it looked too fatty for the body while others were too light to fill the stomach.

He and the rest of the Serpentine stuck with their knowledge, which was hunting animals. Pythor remembered how difficult that was, thanks to the city of Ninjago broadening so much. Majority of the hunting spots the Serpentine once used had roads and buildings built over them. They were lucky to find a deer or boar to bring back for everyone.

They had established a firm rule – only mothers, children, elderly and sick would get seconds if they needed. The rest would have to settle for one serving. But the strong ones – Pythor and the Generals including – would skip meals so the others could eat. Pythor was used to the pang of hunger but he could see it took a toll on the more inexperienced Generals, such as Skales. Yet he was happy that they never complained when such an action was demanded. Even Skales would assure his Tribe that their health was more important than his own.

It was the first ounce of respect Pythor ever gained for his disloyal number two.

"Hey," snapped Katherine, who had been watching Pythor stare off into space inside her fridge for the past minute, "you gonna get something in there or what?"

She snapped Pythor back to the present. He shook his head, putting those memories behind him where they belonged.

He took a curious peek at a pizza box in there. There were three slices left, which were all covered in meat and pineapple. Pythor had to look at Katherine with a crinkled eye ridge.

"What?" she asked, a tad crossly. "It's Hawaiian pizza. That stuff's supposed to be on it."

"You're serious?"

She nodded. "Yes. If you want a slice, knock yourself out."

Pythor gave the food another look before finally shrugging. If eating something was the only way she'd give him those pain killers... He took one bite and spat it out in the same second.

"Ugh! You call this garbage food?" he demanded at her.

Katherine, briefly rolling her eyes at his reaction, nodded with an earnest shrug. "Yup. It's pretty good garbage if you ask me."

Pythor blinked at her, making a face of disgust and confusion at her.

"If you don't like it, man, then just put it back, okay?" Katherine told him, eating the rest of her toast.

His face changed at that. Pythor glanced around and saw the trash can just behind him. He didn't hide his devilish smile as the box "slipped" from his grip. Katherine spun around the second she heard the box drop. Her eyes widened at it, before turning into a glare at him.

Even then, Pythor's smug look never dropped. "Seems my hand slipped."

Katherine stood up. She met him face-to-face, a hand tense in a fist. Although she was outmatched by the Anacondrai in size, Katherine had a good feeling she could take him due to his poor physical condition. But as much as she wanted to let loose on him, something held her back. Possibly her damn conscious.

Pythor's smirk widened at the woman's stance. Did she really believe she could take him down? He titled his head at her a little, inspecting her expression. There was a flush on her cheeks and her jaw was tight, but her tense fist was a dead giveaway at how badly he angered her. Pythor couldn't fight back his urge to chuckle at her, which only made her furious flush burn brighter.

This woman was amusing...now he understood why she constantly irked reaction after reaction from him. It was hilarious making someone you detested mad.

"I may be in pain, little woman," Pythor warned, in a low voice as he met her glare, "but I assure you...I will finish whatever you start. So I'd think about my decision carefully if I were you."

Katherine's fist tensed more. She went to say something until there was a knock at the front door, followed by a familiar voice.

"Kat, it's Nikkei."

Pythor and Katherine didn't break their glare. They were deadlocked, both determined to be the one who holds the glare until the very last moment.

Nikkei knocked again. "Hey, Katherine? You there?"

Kat had no choice. She turned and went for the front door, as much as she hated losing that battle.

Pythor grinned. He grabbed the pain killers and popped a couple in his mouth, swallowing them down. Then he snagged the last piece of toast (just to see if that too would make Katherine mad). He tenderly leaned on the counter, his smug look bright with satisfaction.

Katherine opened the door. Nikkei greeted her with a smile. "Morning, Kat. Thought I'd stop by and see how everything was doin'."

"It's...doin', overall." Then Kat noticed the cane Nikkei was holding. She recognized it. That was her grandfather's old cane...

"I thought the guy could use it." She told her, seeing the look on her face. "It's still in perfect condition after all these years in his study."

Katherine stared at Nikkei with a sympathetic, almost amazed expression for a moment. "Oh, Nikkei...you didn't have to do that. I could have gone out and gotten –"

"I know." She assured, giving a nod. Nikkei looked down at the old cane with a smile. "But this way you don't have to spend money. I know you have rent to pay this week. Not to mention Granddad would be happy to know his cane was being put to good use instead of getting dusty in a corner."

Katherine smiled at that, and then she let her friend in. Nikkei went up to Pythor, showing him the cane.

"Here," she smiled. "Alan said you should use one of these."

Pythor looked at the blonde woman for a moment, very surprised by her generosity. He glanced at the cane before saying, "You didn't — "

"I know," Nikkei assured, just as she did with Kat. "Like I said...I don't mind at all. Take it."

Pythor, after staring at Nikkei for another moment, accepted her offer. He leaned on the cane. It took so much weight off his bad side that he could stand up straight without feeling a burning from his injury. Nikkei's smile broadened, while Katherine laid against a wall with her arms crossed.

Pythor turned to her and nodded politely, the gratitude there. "Thank you. This will definitely help."

Nikkei nodded back. "Good. I hope it does."

She looked over at Katherine. Her smile dropped when she saw her solemn face. A feeling came over Nikkei, clearly something had happened that she missed.

"Uh, well, I should get going. I've got a few things I need to do." She gave Pythor a smile once more. "I hope you feel better."

Pythor nodded at her again. He was a little relieved knowing Nikkei was going to be around more, actually finding himself wishing he was in her custody rather than Katherine's...

Nikkei went to the door. She gave Katherine a familiar look – the Nikkei signal for her to come outside.

"I'll see you out, Nikkei." She told her, opening the door for her before following her out.

The moment she closed it behind her, Katherine imagine Pythor's face as she punched the wall of her apartment. It was the punch she had been fighting to hold back for the past fifteen minutes. When she pulled her hand away, her knuckles were bright red.

"I can't do this, Nikkei." Katherine vehemently whispered to her friend. "I swear, he is _impossible!_ I can't stand him!"

"I'm sorry, Kat. I don't know what to tell you." Nikkei said, rubbing the back of her neck.

She rubbed her fist, ignoring the sting on her knuckles. "I shouldn't have let Alan talk me into letting him stay. Hell, I shouldn't have gone after him in the first place. I should have just let him go, then I wouldn't be in this mess!"

Nikkei sighed, struggling to find the right thing to say so she wouldn't upset her friend. Katherine's temper was like a pistol, it could go from zero to a hundred very quickly.

"Well, you did, Kat. Like it or not, you're stuck with the guy."

"Don't remind me."

"Oh, come on. You're seriously telling me that you brought an injured Serpentine all the way back to your place and _didn't_ expect something like this to happen?"

"Not exactly, no." Katherine retorted. "But I didn't think he would be such an ass, Nikkei. That's the issue. If he wasn't a jerk and I didn't want to kick the crap out of him – there'd be no problem here!"

Nikkei calmly shushed her, motioning for her to keep her voice down. She her hands on Kat's shoulders, giving them a firm squeeze. Nikkei spoke in a quiet and comforting whisper.

"Kat, look, I know this isn't easy for you. You're scared, and I'm scared for you...but so is he. Did you ever think about how he's feeling?"

"Like I –"

"Care. I know. But you and him need to communicate and find a way to reach a common ground, okay?"

"Nikkei, that's _way_ easier said than done."

"It's worth a shot. I mean, unless you want to be miserable for who knows how long?"

Katherine sighed. "Okay, okay. I hear ya. You're right...it's worth a shot."

_As much as I'll hate it..._

Nikkei nodded and smiled. "Good. I'll be back tonight, okay? I'm sure once Alan gets his medicine here, he'll mood will change."

Katherine nodded back, taking hope in those words.

* * *

Another day passed. Nothing had changed. Katherine and Pythor still despised each other as much as they did the day before. They argued and bickered from sun up to sun down. Thankfully, Alan had the medicine delivered to her house sooner than she thought he would. He wrote special instructions for them to follow: that he was to take one pill in the morning and one at night with a full stomach.

Pythor was more relieved than anyone for it. The medicine helped with the pain, and and chance of it infecting was incredibly minimum. But just because one part of his situation was better, didn't mean the other part was.

His hatred for Katherine grew more with each passing day. She was stubborn and argumentative on every little thing. Late at night Pythor would slither to the bathroom hoping his power of invisibility would work. But it failed each time. So much pain would shoot through his body at once that he had to stop.

There was no hope of him escaping her, and that only made him hate Katherine more.

Another day came. It was late in the afternoon. Another part of Alan's instructions was to make sure Pythor's bandages were changed every day. This was a time neither him or Katherine looked forward to. She despised touching him, just as much as he despised being touched by her.

He was on the couch. It made it easier for Katherine to change his bandages that way. It was obvious the medicine was working to heal his wounds, but they were still leaving a light-bloody residue on the bandages. Katherine threw all the used ones away in her trash can.

She was wrapping new bandages around the bullet wound on his forearm. The other two had gone as smoothly as they could, but Pythor hated that Katherine was so rough with him. She'd press too hard when cleaning his wounds and never apologized for it, no matter how much Pythor flinched or growled at the pain.

It happened again as she was wrapping his arm. Katherine pulled the bandage too tightly and caused a sharp sting to go up his whole arm.

Pythor hissed at it, and shot a glare at the woman. "Damn it! Is it possible for you to be just a little more gentle?" he snapped, pulling his arm away from her.

"Be more gentle?" she demanded. "Last night you threw a fit because I wrapped your bandages so lightly that they came undone. Now I'm suddenly too rough?"

Pythor rolled his eyes. "I'll do this myself. That seems to be the only way it will be done right."

Katherine scoffed. "Fine. Whatever." She got up and stomped away from him.

Pythor glowered at her back for a moment before finishing up the bandaging himself. He had hoped she would be satisfied with having the last word but that apparently wasn't enough for Katherine.

"So tomorrow I guess you can change your own bandages _and_ clean your wounds tomorrow. You know, since you're not helpless, right?"

"Ugh, are you really still talking?" he groaned, rolling his eyes now.

Katherine clicked her tongue. "I can't believe I'm forced to put up with this crap. If I wanted to be treated like garbage I'd be at work."

"Oh, forgive me for throwing a monkey wrench in your perfect little life, sweet heart." Pythor mocked. "My people and I are being hunted down, but I'll show a little compassion for your plight."

"You don't know a damn thing about me." Katherine retorted crossly, standing her ground. "And don't blame us for the hunt, blame yourselves. You Serpentine were the ones who listened to a psycho and released that giant monster. We had nothing to do with that."

Pythor stopped mid-wrap as she said that. He shot Katherine a dark glare. "I am only going to warn you once, woman. Do _not_ start that argument with me, because you will lose."

"Then stop acting like you Serpentine are the only people who've been treated like garbage. Everyone goes through crap in their life."

Pythor tensed. "Need I remind who forced who underground thirty years ago."

"Your constant fighting with each other was hurting us. You didn't give us a choice!"

Pythor shot up, without the need for his cane. His building anger putting aside any pain. He snarled. "So we deserved to be shut away into the dark without any food or water?"

"And we deserved to be fed to a giant monster?"

"We were furious!" he hissed.

Katherine shouted, "We were afraid!"

The argument came to a dead halt as a banging sounded from the front door, startling both the woman and Anacondrai.

"Kat? Kat!"

Pythor had no idea what was happening. He looked over at Katherine. His eyes widened at her, for he was seeing cold fear for the first time on her face.

"Oh, no..." she muttered, and then she looked at her calendar. Low and behold there was today's date with the word **RENT DUE** in bold lettering and red marker. Katherine was mentally cursing herself out and smacking herself across the face. How could she forget?!

"Crap," she panicked, "oh, CRAP!"

She was making Pythor nervous. He kept glancing between her and the stranger at the front door, as her fear overwhelmed his senses. He could scent it all over Katherine, but why?

Before he could ask a question, Katherine grabbed his hand. "You need to hide!" she told him in a hushed voice, flinching when the stranger banged on the door again. Pythor couldn't look away from her terrified expression. She was so scared that it was starting to reflect onto him.

"What's going on?" he whispered in a hiss.

Katherine didn't answer. She handed him Nikkei's cane and opened the guest bedroom, unintentionally shoving him in there as fast as possible. "Just stay there!" she hissed. "Keep quiet and do not come out until I tell you!"

"Now hold on, tell me – "

Katherine slammed the door in his face. And for once it wasn't done out of spite.

Katherine rushed to clean up her coffee table of the medical supplies, grabbing them and tossing them all in her bathroom. All the while he kept banging on her front door, loudly demanding she'd open it.

"Give me a minute!" she called, straightening her couch out. "I'm cleaning up from dinner!"

Out of a moment of paranoia, Katherine sprayed a generic smelling air fresher in her living room in hopes to mask the bleach smell.

"You've got until the count of ten to open this door, Kat." He warned, his attention span filled to the brim. "One, two, three..."

The timing only made her rush more. She fixed what she could before bolting to the door and unlocking it just a split-second from ten. The man leaning against the frame, with his hands in the pockets of his jeans, blinked at Katherine, noticing how quickly she'd opened the door. He was a tall and solid man who radiated with masculinity, especially for someone at the mid age of twenty six. His hair was a dirty blonde, with sea blue eyes and budding aftershave on his face.

He flashed a grin at her – the grin Katherine despised. "Took you long enough, Pussycat."

"Devon." She replied, refusing to return his grin. She found him wearing his white low-cut, sleeveless shirt and got a whiff of his cologne. At least he smelled nice for her.

"Oh, don't be so cold, Pussycat." He said, rather patronizingly. "You know I don't like to be kept waitin', especially on rent day."

"Sorry." Katherine apologized, moving her bangs from her eyes while throwing a glance inside her apartment (secretly risking one at the guest room). "Like I said, I was in the middle of cleaning up by the time you were beating my door."

Devon laughed. "Well, I would have let myself in and joined you but, uh...your key wasn't working all of a sudden." He held up her spare key in front of her.

Katherine, playing dumb, shrugged. "Huh. That's weird. Mine's been working fine."

She let him inside in hopes to dodge the topic... Devon walked in casually. Katherine went to her kitchen. She kept the rent money hidden in a secret spot in her cabinet. As she pulled it out and started counting for this month's payment, Devon started walking around. It made her nervous.

"So, you know Pussycat, my old man and I have been getting quite a few complaints from your neighbors." He said, nonchalantly looking at the picture frame of Kat and her friends.

She swallowed nervously, beads of sweat on her brow. Katherine took in a deep breath before speaking. "About what?"

"Uh...mainly noise. Like, one lady was upset because she heard a loud crash from your side that woke her up at two or three in the morning the other night. The rest have been the same – your neighbors say you've been arguing with someone the past few night now."

"I don't know what they're talking about, about the arguing I mean." Katherine told him. "Minnie was really frantic after that monster attack, and she kept freaking out. She knocked over something in my room. That must have been what the lady heard."

She could feel Devon glance at her, but Katherine was used to ignoring it. Her heart stopped when she was short the exact amount, and once again she hated herself. But she knew there was nothing she could do about it. For now, anyway... Katherine bravely handed Devon the money.

He started counting it on the spot.

"That monster attack was insane, right?" he asked, making conversation as he counted. It was a skill which he always tried to impress Katherine with.

She nodded. "Yeah. Pretty crazy..."

"The whole media is still blowing up about it. And that Serpentine hunt is getting more intense, too."

Katherine bit her lip a little. "Have they...have they caught any?"

Devon shook his head. "Not yet, anyway. The Ninja are looking high and low for them. Apparently they made this fortress underground somewhere and they found it completely destroyed."

"O-Oh..."

"My theory is that monster shook the ground up so bad it caused a cave-in. If the Serpentine were stupid enough to use that as their shelter, then there's a good chance they were all crushed to death...well, the ones that weren't lucky enough to get out at least."

Katherine found herself gulping, her face turning pale. That sounded awful...and Devon was so emotionless. Did he...think that was a good thing?

He reached the last dollar and stopped. His eyes went to Katherine. "You're short, Pussycat."

She nodded. "I – I know. But it's just a few dollars. I get paid next week, Devon. I promise I'll give it to you as soon as I can..."

Her voice became meek as his gaze turned cold. Devon clicked his tongue as he slowly put the money in his pocket.

"Pussycat," he said, "Katherine...do you think I'm stupid?"

Katherine gulped, but she shook her head. "N-No, Devon. I don't. Please, I just need –"

"Then what makes you think I'm dumb enough to fall for an excuse like yours?" he questioned, his tone sharpening.

"It's not an excuse." She told him, trying to stay calm. "Look, the diner hasn't been doing well these past few months. Our boss hasn't been able to –"

"Then quit your job there and find a better one."

"It's not that simple, Devon. I can't just quit one job and work at another."

He clicked his tongue again. "Yeah, I suppose that's true...although, I don't see the point of you having a job. When you're just goin' to settle down someday with a husband and be busy at home with the kids, making dinner and what not."

Katherine stepped away from him. "Well, that day isn't today."

"Aw, c'mon, Pussycat. I'm not trying to be an ass. I'm just making a point. But you know...I could let you stay here rent free, if you'd —"

"Pass." She declined instantly. "Unlike the other three who were desperate enough to accept that offer, I'm not. And I'll say it again, for a third time: _Never_ gonna happen."

Devon stared at her for a moment, displeased by her answer. Then he shrugged, his demeanor slightly condescending. "Okay. Have it your way, Pussycat. You don't want to take the easy street? Whatever. But my old man still has to know about the short cash...and that you changed the lock."

"Fine. Tell him."

Devon smirked at her. She held his stare strongly, until he suddenly leaned in. His lips brushed against hers, but only for a heartbeat. Katherine pulled away before anything could happen. He snickered at the surprised and angry flush on her face.

"Still playing hard to get, eh, Pussycat?"

Katherine didn't reply. She wiped her mouth and watched as he finally left. Devon didn't even leave with the courtesy of closing the door behind him.

Shutting and locking it, Katherine told Pythor it was safe to come out.

When he opened the door, he saw Katherine sitting solemnly on her couch. Her face was bright, undoubtedly from embarrassment. She didn't look at him.

Pythor slithered out of the room. He rubbed the back of his neck, feeling the heavy yet awkward tension in the room. He had overheard everything, even more than he wanted to. He wasn't sure what else to do other than silently stare at her.

He waited for her to snap at him, but Katherine was – for once – silent.

The Anacondrai sighed. Unsure what to do, he sat beside the woman. He didn't stare at her anymore, knowing that was anything but helpful right now, especially for her.

A few minutes of absolute silence passed.

"...The bandage is coming undone."

He turned to Katherine. "Hmm?"

She didn't look at him. "Around your arm. They're coming off."

Pythor looked at his arm. She was right, they were falling off. He rumbled to himself...

"Here," Katherine took his arm in a gentle grip as she pulled it to her. "Let me. I'll be gentle this time...promise."

He didn't object. Katherine started wrapping it, and once again Pythor stared at her in silence.

"Sorry you had to hear that." She told him after a moment, keeping her focus on his arm. "That was awkward for the both of us."

Pythor was secretly glad she chose to address that rather than the possible cave-in. He knew the other Tribes were smarter than that, but a part of him still worried. "He's allowed to treat you like that?"

"He's my landlord son." Katherine answered, numbly. "He can treat me and anyone here however he wants."

"And you allow him."

Kat froze mid-wrap for a moment. Pythor could tell he struck a chord. He waited for her to respond, but she stayed quiet.

"I may not fully understand how something like this works," Pythor said, "but what he was doing was clearly wrong. And that's coming from a bystander."

"Devon knows full well it is, but that doesn't mean he cares." Katherine disregarded. "As long as his father's the landlord, he can do whatever he feels. And it's not like he's pulled jerk moves like that on me before. I'm used to them."

She finished with his bandage and sat with her arms crossed.

Pythor was once again staring at Katherine. It was there he realized how absolutely nonsensical this woman was. Why wasn't she afraid to defy him – a _Serpentine_ – but bit her tongue in the presence of a random guy? Was she waiting for some miracle to happen?

With that thought in mind, he said:

"You know, it isn't like the Ninja are going to spin in at the last second and do something about this for you."

Katherine blinked at him. "Excuse me?"

"If there's anything I've noticed about you Surface Dwellers is that you all have become too reliant on the Ninja to solve your problems."

She blinked again. "I don't..."

"Whenever something happened, everyone always expected the Ninja to save the day. I hardly ever saw anyone else who tried to do anything to stop what was happening."

"That has nothing to do with me." She disregarded again.

"No, but if you want that guy to leave you alone, then you'll have to do something about it yourself."

"Sure, unless I want to get kicked out."

"Then at least you got kicked out standing up for yourself."

Katherine rolled her eyes and finally stood up, fed up with this conversation. "Shut up and take your medicine."

Pythor quietly sighed as well. Their routinely arguments were much easier than consoling...


	9. Chapter Eight

**Disclaimer****: I do not own any of the original "Ninjago: Masters of Spintizu" characters, nor do I own the original settings. I only own Katherine, Beck, Nikkei and Doctor Alan McKullan.**

* * *

**EIGHT — Amiable-_ish_**

_The clashing of swords filled the large sparring room. Occupying it were two Anacondrai: one much older and stronger, and the other much younger and in process of training. It was one crash of steel after another, followed by a sharp critique:_

_"Keep your focus balanced. Pay attention to your attacks and your movements."_

_Pythor – the young trainee – deflected each of his teacher's attacks. But his sword was a standard weapon, used for first-timers like himself. His teacher's sword was one made for a warrior like himself. It was heavy, the blade almost as long as an Anacondrai and wide as one's muscular build. It had a sharp tip, perfect for piercing through even the toughest hide._

_Not to mention flimsy metal twigs, like Pythor's poor excuse of a weapon._

_After a fourth blow from his teacher's sword, Pythor's sword broke. The blade was severed from its own hilt. That was the third one this morning. Pythor – now more nervous than he was at the beginning of his training – accidentally let his guard down as he looked at his broken sword for just a heartbeat._

_His teacher used that split second of distraction to his advantage, and he growled, "How many times must I tell you?"_

_Pythor looked back only to see an incoming blade. He narrowly evaded it, sloppily dodging it and falling backwards on the ground. There was one rule that had been established since day one of his training –_

_"Never let your guard down in front of your opponent." His teacher reminded firmly. "Just because you are unarmed does not mean I will not hesitate to attack."_

_Pythor didn't feel like listening to another one of his long-winded lectures. He spotted the weapon wrack at the far end of the sparring room ahead of him – where the real swords were. Without thinking Pythor bolted right for them, slithering as fast as he could._

_He kept his focus on only the swords. Pythor knew he could prove himself, if he could just get the chance – he froze when a tail wrapped around his wrist. Pythor didn't have time to process what was happening when his teacher flung him backwards. He hit the ground again, and the moment he opened his eyes the sharp tip if a sword was pointed straight at him._

_Then his eyes went to his teacher's. Just like Pythor's, they glowed a bright violet. They were almost the spitting image of each other at first glance. His teacher's gaze was always solemn, always rigid. No matter who he looked at, those eyes never softened._

_"You turned your back on your opponent." He reprimanded, never lowering his sword. "And now because of that careless move, you're dead. Over getting another weapon."_

_Pythor frowned, feeling small under that cold gaze of his. "How else was I supposed to win?"_

_"You can't just rely on a weapon to save you." His teacher told him, finally drawing back his sword. "It's a tool. Nothing more and nothing less."_

_His teacher lowered his sword. Pythor felt he could breathe again, but he still avoided that gaze._

_"You're not ready to handle a real weapon yet." His teacher went on coldly. "That body of yours is still too scrawny. You'd snap like a twig in battle."_

_Pythor's face darkened from a blush of embarrassment. He gained some muscle-weight thanks to these few months of training but – as usual – it wasn't enough. He was still too bony. The curses of having a high metabolism..._

_"Not to mention your performance during combat training is still mediocre. Blocking constantly won't win you a victory. Your focus and grip are all over the place, and —"_

_"Hydro, enough."_

_Pythor and his teacher both looked over as General Hydras entered the room. Pythor's flush darkened, he wished he knew how to disappear on the spot. As if Hydro witnessing his fails weren't enough, now his own father too?_

_"You're supposed to train my son," Hydras said, "not make him feel bad over every little mistake he's made."_

_Hydro tried not to scowl. "Those 'little' mistakes could be his one-way ticket to getting killed. The sooner they're reprimanded, the sooner they'll be fixed."_

_"Then uplift him a little, why don't you?" Hydras asked, as he slithered beside Pythor. He helped his son up off the ground. "A few praises won't hurt. If anything, they'll help improve those mess-ups."_

_Pythor looked between the two Anacondrai, feeling as small as a speck of dust between them._

_Hydro's eyes narrowed. "The boy hasn't done anything worth praising."_

_"On the contrary, he was doing a better job at keeping up with your attacks. And his blocks have vastly improved."_

_Pythor's face darkened with color, and he bashfully looked down. His father really thought he'd improved that much? But his flush worsened into embarrassment as he heard Hydro coldly say:_

_"Blocking is the only skill he has improved."_

_The young Anacondrai looked down more, inwardly closing up like a shell. He felt Hydro's hard gaze fall on him. Pythor could tell by the weight of his eyes that he wasn't pleased with this display of cowardice._

_"We'll pick up from here tomorrow." He said, and then, as he looked at Hydras, he added: "Without any unnecessary interruptions."_

_Giving Hydro a begrudging look, Hydras placed a caring arm around his son's shoulders. "Come along, son. You heard your uncle."_

_Pythor didn't look up even once as they exited the sparring room. He could hear his uncle training with the sparring dummies behind them. It was a normal sound that rang through the temple when Hydro was alone. No Anacondrai would dare disturb him when he was training._

_"It will be all right, son." Pythor heard his father say. He looked up at him, and on his face was a kind smile. "If it's any consolation, I think you're improving well. I can tell you're getting stronger."_

_Pythor stared at his father for a moment. In all his fourteen years, his father and uncle were always in disagreement like that. But the topic was normally more major, like the constant fighting between the other Tribes. Uncle Hydro was always telling his father how they should pick a side and stop it once and for all. But Father always disagreed with that notion, saying things like: there was nothing to gain lowering to their levels, and how the Anacondrai needed to set an example for the other Serpentine to follow._

_Pythor never really understood it. And he didn't want to. It was all too complicated for him to follow._

_He would rather have his young life remain unchanged, but that was hard nowadays. There was so much Pythor had to do, so much he had know – all because he was the General's son. He was also one of the youngest children in the Tribe. There was hardly anyone for him to relate to..._

_Well, no. That wasn't true. Pythor still had his father. He was the only person who understood his burden. He was more than willing to comfort him when it was all too heavy. Because of that, Pythor was more than grateful to confide things with his father. – the only one in the Tribe who understood the meaning of childhood._

_With that in mind, Pythor smiled back at his father._

* * *

Katherine and Pythor once again started their day together with an argument. Pythor had woken up before her and wanted to get something in his stomach so he could take his medicine. Hearing him make himself a dry bowl of cereal, Katherine woke up, and that was where their argument started.

Katherine made herself a cup of coffee. "I get you've got an ego you want to keep intact, but I would appreciate it if you weren't lurking around my house when I'm asleep."

Pythor rolled his eyes. "Must you do this first thing in the morning?"

"I mean it." Katherine snapped as she sat on the other side of the counter, leaning in front of him with her coffee.

"I am not going to sit around waiting for your approval to do something as simple as making myself something to eat. I'm a Serpentine, not a trained animal."

Katherine snorted, before taking a sip of her coffee, "The animal part's pretty accurate."

Pythor rumbled at the remark with a head shake of complete disbelief, followed by a cynical smile. He always did this when Katherine would make a sideways comment like that at him. It wasn't just at the comment, but at his situation entirely as well. Here he believed some unseen force of power was giving him a hand – for once – in the disguise of a short woman with an umbrella, when in reality it was a punishment worst than Death himself stealing his damned soul.

If anyone were to ask him his opinion of this woman, he would describe her with every crude and harsh word in the Dictionary. Pythor would even dare say he despised Katherine more than he did the Ninja – at least he had given them reason to hate him (and rightly so). But this woman and her sly remarks were insufferable.

He almost wished those gunman had taken him into custody. At least he wouldn't have to endear this unnecessary abuse, and from such a puny woman on top of that!

"Has anyone ever said you are a very dis-likable person?" Pythor retorted, looking Katherine dead in the eye.

Katherine didn't bat an offended eye at him as she swallowed another sip of her coffee. "Said the Serpentine."

Pythor's face hardened and his tongue flicked out irritably at her.

Katherine didn't say another word. She was gutsy enough to even flash a triumphant smirk at him before getting up and heading to her couch. She sat down and turned on the TV.

Pythor grabbed himself a glass of water to chug down his medicine with –

"It has been four days since the attack of the Serpentine monster," said the news reporter on TV, "and the construction has been successful so far."

His heart skipped a beat and he about choked on his drink. Pythor covered his mouth, cringing from each dry cough. He drank slowly to ease his startled system. With a stinging throat, Pythor turned to the television. On there was the anchorman of NGTV.

"With all the injured found from the rubble and taken into intensive care, the construction of Ninjago City quickened. However, that being said, no one can determine when our city will be fully rebuilt. The numbers of houses, markets – even hospitals and businesses were completely crumbled to dust and debris. Families have become homeless, people have become unemployed – and there are many who are suffering from both tragedies."

Pythor could feel his heart begin to pound as the screen displayed photos and recorded scenes of all the destroyed buildings and of down-trodden people.

"How awful..." Katherine muttered solemnly, shaking her head.

"But it seems this tragedy has brought people together. A shelter has been made for the families and people who've lost their homes to the attack. They even except the unemployed who cannot afford to pay for their homes. Food and money has been donated to help expand this inspiring cause, especially from out local heroes the Ninja!"

The TV showed them, then. His four hated enemies, Lloyd and the female samurai including. Pythor tensed, especially when he saw the old man – Wu – standing near them with a small crate of food in his arms.

_So he survived, too..._ Pythor thought.

"In other news," the anchorman continued, "the search for the Serpentine so far has been fruitless."

Pythor let out the most quietest sigh of relief. _They must have found their own shelter,_ he thought, knowing there was no way they were hiding in any of the underground tombs. They would have been the first place the Ninja had looked.

It made him wonder if the cave-in of the underground fortress was their own doing to cover their tracks... Pythor was relaxed by this thought, until the anchorman said:

"Our reporters have asked our heroes if they know which of the Serpentine are responsible for the attack."

One of his arms began shaking. He couldn't place the emotions running through him at this moment, there were so many hurdling at once. Pythor glanced at Katherine, who looked anxious to know. If he was able to, he'd be sweating bullets.

The panic started, his heart pounding loudly. He started slithering back. There was no telling what would happen if she found out, but he had to be ready for everything. Pythor never took his eyes off Katherine.

"But despite our best efforts," the anchorman said, then, "the Ninja have yet to reveal the identity of this villain. They assured us that they would stop at nothing until they've caught the culprit, as well as the other Serpentine."

Pythor tried not to let his relief show. He was silently thanking every star in the sky, eternally grateful to anyone up there looking out for him.

The Anacondrai slithered to the bathroom. He needed to be somewhere isolated enough for him to think.

He went in and closed the door behind him, locking it as well, and then turned on the sink to splash cool water on his face. Pythor was panting heavily, his heart racing. He could feel his mind beginning to collapse, the fear rising in his soul. His stomach tensed and churned like it wanted to implode, making Pythor's trembling worse.

Pythor splashed himself again, starting to take in deep and slow breaths, like his father had told him to do when his panic tried taking over...

You have to relax, old chum. He told himself silently, gripping the edge of the sink. Everything is fine for the most part. The Ninja have no way of knowing you're alive, just as long as you leave no trail behind for any of them to follow. But...

That woman – Katherine – was his liability. If she ever caught on to his lies, there wasn't a doubt in his mind that she would make sure he was taken away, handcuffed and muzzled like an animal. A human as cynical as her wouldn't think twice about that notion. Heaven forbid the promise of a reward would get involved in this hunt. Every Surface Dweller would be looking then.

Pythor took in a deep breath, nodding his head at his thoughts. As long as he stuck with his story – which that woman believed ever so easily – he had nothing to worry about. Lying was nothing new to his character, that was for sure. He could keep it up as long as he needed, and then he would be on his way out of this wretched city the first chance he'd get.

She was insufferable, yes, but also harmless.

BAM!

Pythor shrieked, startled by the sound of something crashing against the bathroom door. He nearly jumped out of his scales in terror, clinging to the wall behind him with a hand on his pounding heart. What in the world had –

"You gonna be in there all day or what?" came an aggravated Katherine.

Pythor rolled his eyes. He opened the door, giving her a side glare as he slithered out.

"About time." She said, glaring right back at him, and in such a passive-aggressive way that it made his glare deeper. He was silent as he let her pass.

He rubbed a temple as he sat back down at the counter, exhaling quietly through his nostrils. Although there was no determined day for him to leave, Pythor knew he'd have to keep in control. No matter how difficult that would be.

Katherine walked out a minute later. "You all right?" she asked, looking him briefly from head to tail. "You look a tad pale."

"_You have no idea"_, is what he wanted to say. But he put up his facade.

"Wouldn't you," he questioned, throwing the ball back in her court, "if your people were being hunted?"

"It's your own fault for it."

He chuckled (bitterly) at that. "And you Surface Dwellers carry no shame."

"We didn't sick a giant monster on you guys." Retorted Katherine, her voice a cold snap.

"No, you locked us away underground for decades without any food or even a drop of water for us."

Katherine gave him a glower. It seemed this argument wouldn't end until it was pounded repeatedly into the ground.

"And as I stated _before,_" Katherine coldly snapped at him, "you guys didn't give us a choice."

Pythor hummed a cocky laugh, shaking his head a little. "Arguing with you is like arguing at a brick wall..."

Katherine snorted. "Like you're one to talk."

The Anacondrai turned to her, cocking his head in a slightly suspicious and arrogant manner. "All right, then answer me this...do you believe we – my kind – deserved to be sealed underground?"

Katherine stared at Pythor, her mouth firming. She was expecting – hoping – he'd say something that could give her time to think of a retort, but he didn't say a word. She could tell bu his expression, Pythor had every intention to stay quiet until Katherine gave him an answer.

An answer that she was unsure of...

But she wasn't giving him the satisfaction of getting the better of her. She was biting the inside of her cheek, her arms folded together. Quickly, Katherine said back:

"Well, do you think we deserved that monster attack? You saw the same thing I just did on the news, people are seriously suffering from it."

Pythor watched her, eyeing her from head to toe briefly. His scaly lips pursued a little at that...but she was taken aback when she saw a smile suddenly stretch on his face.

"You know," Pythor said, in a low, confident tone of voice, "a response like yours just now makes me wonder if you're _intentionally_ avoiding my question."

"Isn't that what you're doing right now?" Katherine questioned.

He snickered at that, making Katherine's anger grow.

"It's a yes or no question." He reminded, trying to coax that answer out of her.

"So is mine."

"Yes, but I asked mine first."

"Are you kidding? The whole 'I asked first' thing?"

"You're stalling." He pointed out.

Finally Katherine had to put her hands up, fed up. "Can you just stop? Please? I don't want to talk about this anymore."

"Why? All I'm asking for is a personal opinion."

"Stop!"

He titled his head at her, pausing for a moment.

"...You've never formed an opinion about something like that, have you?"

Katherine met his stare. Her folded arms tightened a little and she was biting the inside of her cheek again. Then she looked away, moving a lock of hair from her face, trying to find an excuse to look away from those cold fuchsia eyes of his.

He clicked his tongue, a little speechless. Then he took his glass of water and his cane.

"When you _do_ have an answer, come tell me." Pythor used the cane to stand up slowly. "Then we can continue our spat like mature adults...well, one of us can, at least."

He started back for the guest bedroom, feeling a slight ounce of pride for winning an argument – or at least getting through one that wasn't unexpectedly interrupted.

"You didn't answer my question." Katherine told Pythor, stopping him.

He looked over at her, not batting an eye as he said: "Yes, but...I asked for yours first."

Then he went into his room, closing the door behind him.

* * *

That whole argument hovered endlessly over Katherine's head all day. It didn't leave her alone at all. When Pythor was around, she wouldn't look or speak to him (which he made no complaints about).

Later that day, Nikkei came over to see how everything was going. She could tell by the look on Katherine's face when she opened the door that something had happened. They sat on the couch, Katherine explaining to Nikkei what had happened in the morning.

"He wasn't being sarcastic when he asked for your opinion, was he?" Nikkei asked, as Katherine threw a dart at her dart board.

She shook her head. "No. I mean, we've argued like that before but...it's never been that intense."

"So, what did you say?"

Katherine bit her lip as she tossed a dart, missing the spot she was aiming for. "I didn't know what to answer with, so I sorta turned the question around on him. But he saw right through it. He was stumped for a second, and then he just left it be."

Nikkei blinked, looking at Kat with a slightly surprised look for a moment. But then she sighed sympathetically. "I guess I can't say I formed an opinion of my own about it, either..."

Katherine was leaning back on her couch and fiddling with one of the darts distractedly. "I don't know what he even expected me to say. If I said 'yes', I'd be a terrible person. But saying 'no'..." she stopped, shaking her head. Then she asked Nikkei, "What they did back then was messed up, don't you think?"

Nikkei nodded. "Of course...but I won't lie, Kat, you and him need to come to some kind of understanding."

"Easy for you to say." Katherine grumbled. "You're not living with the ass."

She tossed the dart, then. Once again, Katherine missed her mark, which only made her aggravation grow.

"I know that," replied Nikkei, trying to be sympathetic, "but it beats fighting with him all the time, right? You don't even call each other by your names."

"Like that matters."

Nikkei sighed, rubbing a temple at her stubborn friend. "Man, Kat, you are so problematic sometimes, I swear..."

Katherine sharply turned to her at that. "_I'm_ problematic? He's the jerk who put a dent in my damn wall _and_ has yet to thank me for saving his stupid life! But – again – _I'm_ being problematic?!"

"Katherine, calm down." Said Nikkei, noticing that Katherine was almost shouting at this point.

Then, after setting her extra darts on the nightstand beside her, Katherine shot up. Obviously Nikkei's words had fallen on deaf ears. She watched as Katherine stomped over to the spare bedroom where Pythor was in, slamming open the door and stopping just in the doorway.

Katherine gave a glare right at him as he lay on the bed.

Pythor groaned in annoyance a split second before she had burst open his door, for he had heard Katherine's shouting and footsteps head his way.

"Can't I have one moment of peace with you around?" he demanded at her, rubbing his face in aggravation for having his peace destroyed.

"Get out here and answer my damn question." Katherine ordered firmly, crossing her arms.

He gave her a frustrated glare. "Are you serious?"

"I am. Now!"

"Kat." Nikkei nervously said from the couch. "Come on, calm down."

She might as well have been talking to a brick wall.

Pythor narrowed his stare at Katherine begrudgingly...but – after a moment of silent debate with himself – he grabbed his cane and used it to lift himself out of bed. The two glared directly at each other, even as Pythor slithered into the living room. He glanced at Nikkei for a brief second, catching her apprehensive demeanor as she constantly looked between him and Katherine.

He turned to the scowling woman, hoping this was an opportunity to make her look like a complete idiot in front of her own friend.

"I told you –" began Pythor, but Katherine sharply interrupted.

"Answer me," she warned, "or I'll throw you out."

Nikkei and Pythor both blinked at that. But not for the same reason – Nikkei's blink was out of shock, her jaw also dropping in the process...Pythor, however, lifted an eye crest at Katherine. He was somewhat...impressed. She gave that warning without a hint of hesitation, making him wonder for a brief second if she actually meant it.

But he knew she didn't. She was only tossing an empty threat on the table to intimidate him. He smirked, chuckling at the woman. She humored him so much.

Katherine's scowl deepened at his chuckling. "I'm not kidding."

"You honestly think I'm not onto your game, woman?" Pythor questioned, once his chuckling died down. "All you've made is one empty threat after another. You're as intimidating as a leashed mongrel – all you can do is run to the end of your chain and bark."

Katherine was more tense than ever before. She tightened a fist at her side, feeling her arm start to shake.

Nikkei drew back, constantly looking back and forth at the Anacondrai and her friend. She could tell something was about to happen. Nikkei had a gut feeling...

The only thing that broke the tension was a sudden knock at the door (which didn't shock Pythor anymore at this point). Then there came a voice.

"Kat?"

Both Nikkei and Katherine's eyes widened. The two women turned to each other with the same worried expression, and they started speaking very quietly.

"It's Beck!" Nikkei whispered to Katherine. She rushed up to her, starting to become frantic. "What do we do, Kat? If he sees this guy, he's gonna _freak!_"

Katherine nodded in agreement. She was just as anxious as Nikkei. There was no way they could hide Pythor in the house without Beck catching on. After the three of them being friends for so long, Beck could always tell when something was going on. He had a tendency of reading Katherine and Nikkei like they were opened books. If he somehow caught on that she was hiding a Serpentine, there wasn't a doubt in her mind Beck would make sure the authorities find out too.

Katherine turned at Pythor. She was about to pull him back to the bedroom, until she noticed he was standing right in front her balcony. That was when an idea came to her. A very devilish idea...

She took his arm. "C'mon," she told him, opening the balcony doors and leading him out to it. Pythor and Nikkei both gave her confused looks.

Katherine lived on the second floor of her apartment complex. Everyone on the second floor had a metal balcony, which showed an unflattering view of the ally below them. Pythor looked around. There wasn't a single person around on this slightly chilly night. He turned back to Katherine.

"I don't understand –"

"Look down." She told him, nodding towards the ground below.

Pythor, as confused as he was, looked down over the railing. Her balcony – by pure coincidence – hung right above a large blue dumpster. It wasn't far beneath them, either. Katherine could easily toss any trash from here and it would land right into the opening without a problem.

He was about to turn back and question why seeing that dumpster was so important, until a strong force suddenly shoved into the middle of his back, successfully pushing him right over the railing. Pythor hadn't seen it coming at all. He shrieked as he fell forwards, and then –

BOOM!

He landed right into the dumpster, the many trash bags cushioning his fall. The lid closed on top of him.

Katherine was now alone on her balcony, and a giant smirk was plastered proudly on her face. She chuckled at herself. After so many years, she could still get the drop on people. Even to a Serpentine.

"Looks like someone wasn't standing far away enough from the leash." She chuckled.

Katherine picked up the cane Pythor had dropped when he fell and went back into her apartment. She found Nikkei giving her a judgmental look.

"Was kicking him off the balcony really necessary?" she asked Kat.

"Hey, that was for the comment about being a dog – and for throwing away my Hawaiian pizza."

Nikkei had to roll her eyes. Katherine was so shameless sometimes.

Katherine hid the cane under the couch. Then she went to the kitchen to hide Pythor's medicine, telling Nikkei it was safe to let Beck in now. Both women composed themselves, prepared to pretend like there was nothing they had to hide.

Beck gave his friend a smile when the front door was finally opened. "Hey, Nikkei."

He was a tall and slim guy, with almond skin and black hair that was just the same length as his neck and parted down the middle. Facial hair wasn't a big thing with him, except for the soul patch below his bottom lip. But Beck was a fan of wearing slightly baggy clothes, even with jeans. He was wearing his favorite brown button-up sweatshirt, with a gray shirt underneath.

"I didn't know you were here." He said.

Nikkei smiled back, hoping he wouldn't be able to tell how anxious she was on the inside. "Y-Yeah. I, uh, just got here actually."

She let him in. He gave Katherine a bright smile when he saw her walk out of the kitchen.

"Hey, Beck." Kat greeted. "What's up?"

"Ah, nothing really." He replied, his hands casually going into his pockets. "I kinda just wanted to see how you've been doing. I haven't heard from you in a few days. I wanted to make sure you were okay."

Katherine's smile softened at that for a moment. She wasn't surprised by that. Beck always took the roll of big brother, being the oldest among the three (as well as the big brother of three little sisters) it was natural for him.

"Well," she answered, "it's been crazy. But I'm all right...for the most part." Katherine mumbled that last bit.

Beck smiled at that, obviously relieved.

"How is the construction coming?" Nikkei asked.

This made him sigh. "It's not easy. Some of us aren't sure where to start. That's how bad it is. We've got construction workers trying to rebuild in so many different areas that it's taking longer."

Katherine frowned. "So you guys have no idea how long it'll take to put the city back together?"

Beck nodded. "That's the case so far. I mean, at least we've got people lending us a hand with easy things they can accomplish while we do the harder stuff, but sometimes that doesn't feel enough either. Even with the Ninja's help..."

Both Katherine and Nikkei put a comforting hand on Beck.

"You guys are doing more than enough." Nikkei assured. "We'll put the city back together one area at a time."

He smiled at her, but then his face changed. It hardened as he mentioned, "So did you guys hear on the news today that the Ninja know the Serpentine behind the attack?"

Katherine gulped while Nikkei nodded.

"Yeah, and they aren't going to tell anyone the guy's name."

Katherine kept quiet. She bit her lip. _No doubt the Ninja are trying to figure out if the guy's really dead or not._ Katherine thought, remembering what Pythor had told her.

That alone must be difficult without a body to confirm...

"I hope they do." Beck said in a harsh tone. "I'd love to find the guy myself and beat the living daylights out of him. Or any of those snakes for that matter." Then he turned to the silent woman. "Right, Kat?"

Katherine blinked out of her reverie and quickly nodded in agreement, clearing her throat. "Uh, yeah. Same here."

She didn't turn to Nikkei, who didn't sound any sort of agreement with the two. Beck and Katherine both had a tendency of being bull-headed, and together they formed one enormous bull-headed person. They alone overpowered always level-headed and logical Nikkei.

But for a moment even she was glad Pythor wasn't present in the apartment to hear Katherine agree with Beck, whether she really meant it or not. Who knows how badly they would have argued as soon as he was gone...

Beck left shortly after that, but Nikkei's apprehension was still there. It was time for round three between Pythor and Katherine.

Katherine went out to the balcony. Looking down, she found the lid to the dumpster opened. Not a moment after, there was a loud banging at the front door.

Nikkei checked the peek-hole and found it was Pythor...a very dirty and furious Pythor.

Katherine came up beside her and unlocked the door. The moment he heard the click, Pythor slammed the door open, and then a stench started filling the apartment. Nikkei and Katherine both gagged on the smell, but Katherine couldn't keep from smirking at his appearance. Pythor was filthy, parts of him sticky with the disgusting things that lingered in that dumpster.

His glare was at no one but Katherine. The rage and hatred was all over him. His body was tense.

"There you are." Katherine mocked, waving the smell from her face as she chuckled. "I was starting to think you passed out in that dumpster."

"Oh, you think you're _so_ funny, don't you?" Pythor growled, his fangs showing from under his curling lip.

"Let's just say I am _extremely_ glad I'm not you right now." Katherine said back. Nikkei almost immediately put a hand on her shoulder from that remark.

"Kat," she whispered, "don't. Just let it go."

"Hey, it's let go." Katherine nonchalantly replied. "I feel much better after putting this ass in the trash – where he belongs!"

"Kat!"

Nikkei turned to see Pythor's reaction...but he – to both the women's surprise – was silent for a few moments. Then, abruptly, he started chuckling, as if finding was Katherine just said hysterical. They were both beside themselves in surprise.

"Maybe you're right." He agreed, leaning casually against the door way. "Maybe I do belong in garbage, which I think calls for some redecorating, don't you think?" he smirked at Katherine, who crossed her arms suspiciously.

Without warning, Pythor tossed a half ripped trash bag into the living room. It spilled out the moment it hit the floor, causing an even worse smell to fill the apartment. Nikkei gasped, taken aback...but Katherine was stiff. Her arms remained crossed and her expression was unchanged. There was nothing on the outside. No shock. No rage...

Pythor slithered inside finally with another trash bag. With that triumphant and sly smirk, he ripped that one open. He wasn't hesitating grabbing a handful of garbage and tossing all the sickening things around, like egg shells, used coffee holders, rappers, used paper plates with old dinner still stuck to them, soda cans, bottles – anything else that people threw out. He even used his tail to knock all the garbage out of the first trash bag he threw, just adding to the mess he was making.

Pythor even had the gull to sprinkle little things – like shredded paper, more eggshells and coffee grounds around her while looking her dead in the eyes with that widening smirk. And still Katherine was unresponsive. Her arms remained crossed, and she was as solid as a statue. The expression on her face didn't change at all.

Nikkei was stepping backwards away from the two, a hand over her mouth and nose. She backed all the way until she tripped onto the couch. Nikkei knew it was only a matter of time...

Pythor stopped until both trash bags were completely empty. He tossed them both to the side and wiped what he could off his hands. The Anacondrai had never been more proud of himself in the past week.

"Now," he said, looking at Katherine with that arrogance he once carried, "if you will excuse me, I believe there is a bath with my name on it."

He went right past her, not sparring even a single glance backwards to get a quick peek of her reaction. Pythor was satisfied in what he did that he didn't need to see her reaction.

Then, after so much silence, Katherine said only one sentence:

"Pick it up."

Pythor still went for the bathroom, intentionally ignoring Katherine. She said again –

"Pick it up. Now."

And once again Pythor didn't listen. Katherine moved so fast that Nikkei blinked and saw there was a dart in her hand.

"Kat, no, wait – "

Pythor turned when he heard that, but a startled shriek followed not a moment later at hearing the dart land into a wall just beside his head. He turned to it before looking back at Katherine, who suddenly closed in with an empty milk carton in her hand.

He had no idea what it was for – until Katherine bashed it against the side of his face.

"I said: Clean up this damn mess!" she shouted. "Now!"

Pythor quickly recovered from the blow – which barely hurt or left any sort of mark – and snagged her wrist before she could hit him with it again. Katherine fought to free her wrist, but Pythor suddenly lifted himself higher, holding the woman up by her wrist so he could throw her off easier.

Katherine, however, wasn't giving up. She reacted with the first thought that came to mind: she bit him as hard as she could, too angry to pay any attention to the fowl taste of his scales from the dumpster.

Pythor shrieked again. He was so started that he fell over, the both of them falling onto the kitchen floor. But even that wasn't enough to make Katherine let go, so Pythor grabbed a handful of her hair and yanked.

"OW!" she shouted, her teeth finally releasing his arm. "Dammit! You stupid -"

Katherine bit him again, this time harder than before. This one managed to actually hurt the Anacondrai.

"OW!" he shouted. "Let go, damn you!"

Pythor reacted by pulling on her hair again – it was suddenly a biting and hair pulling fight as both the woman and Serpentine wrestled on the floor. They shouted and cursed with each bite and yank, neither of them paying any attention to Nikkei.

"Guys, c'mon! Stop!" she told them frantically, constantly looking between them and the front door. "You're both going to wake the neighbors!"

Neither Pythor or Katherine listened. They were fed up with each other – and only one of them was going to clean up the mess all over the living room.

"Guys!" Nikkei exclaimed. She wasn't surprised when that didn't work. This fight had to end somehow, and Nikkei knew she had to break them up before one of her neighbors came knocking on the door asking what all the noise was about.

She hopped up on the counter and crawled to Katherine's sink, doing her best not to knock anything over. Never once did Katherine or Pythor look up at her. She doubted if they even remembered she was still in the apartment. Nikkei opened the cabinet beneath her sink and pulled out Katherine's mop bucket, turning her sink on to the coldest setting.

Then Nikkei stuck the bucket under the water and watched it fill. Still, the two didn't notice her. Their fight was growing more intense and ridiculous by the second. Now they were in a deadlock – Katherine biting down on Pythor's shoulder while he had a handful of her hair balled up in his grip, trying to pry her off.

The bucket was filled with ice cold water under a minute. Nikkei managed to lift it up without losing her balance beside the sink and used as much of her strength she could gather to dump the water on both Pythor and Katherine.

The moment the cold water hit them they both shrieked, getting off each other in the process.

"Finally!" exclaimed Nikkei, who was completely aggravated at this point. She tossed the bucket back into the sink and gave the dripping wet Pythor and Katherine a furious look.

"Forget just one of you being problematic – you're both completely ridiculous! What happened if someone heard all that fighting and got the landlord, huh? We'd all be screwed!"

Neither Pythor or Katherine responded. They were both taken aback by Nikkei's fury. She was normally so soft-spoken and nice that this reaction from her was jarring.

"Look, I get it, okay." Nikkei went on, looking at them. "You're both pissed about your situation. Anyone would be. But you both need to get over it and get along somehow. You, Katherine!" she pointed to the woman. "You need to stop pushing his buttons just because you feel like it! It won't kill you to show a little sympathy! Act your age, Kat!"

Then she pointed to the Anacondrai. "As for you! I know your pissed that you're living with Kat for the time being, but you need to suck it up! Have you even considered the fact she's sticking her neck out for you? She could be in as much trouble as you if anyone found out she was keeping you here! The least you could do is be respectful and show some damn gratitude to her!"

Pythor and Katherine glanced at each other before looking back at Nikkei in silence. They had nothing to argue against her with...they both knew she was right (even if they both hated it).

Nikkei got down from the sink. Her aggravated expression remained, mixed with exhaustion. "You two sort your situation out. I'm going home." She headed for the door. "I'll see you, Kat."

She closed it behind her without looking back.

Neither Pythor or Katherine had words for each other, as Nikkei's rant at them processed in both their minds. There was only silence...and a hefty odor of garbage in the air. Occasionally, one would glance at the other, possibly hoping for one of them to say something so the other wouldn't have to. The minutes ticked by, and both the Anacondrai and woman just sat there on a wet floor, damp and reeking of trash.

Nearly ten minutes went by...before Katherine spoke up finally.

"No." She said, straightforwardly. Pythor turned to look at her, a little confused, until she went on. "No...I don't think you guys deserved to be shut away underground. We...we could have found a better solution than that. When you think about it, I guess, anyway."

She didn't look at him once as she said this, almost refusing to. Katherine moved her wet hair from her face, combing her fingers from her bangs to the middle of her head.

"And...And I'm sorry, too." She added, after a deep exhale. "For...you know. The way I've been treating you. Even if you did deserve it...it was immature of me to stoop down to a childish level and, well, just...I'm sorry."

Pythor stared at her, somewhat beside himself. He couldn't believe she not only answered his question...but followed it with an actual apology. As glad as he was to finally get both things, he didn't – for once – feel good about getting them. He had nothing to feel triumphant about...because now it was _his_ turn to say something.

He sighed deeply, rubbing a temple. Pythor didn't even know where to start...

"We...We weren't far from the wrong, either." He had to refrain from saying 'I suppose', remembering he still needed to keep this woman in the dark as much as he could, otherwise she'd catch on to his lie. Pythor, thankfully, was a professional when it came with telling someone what they wanted to hear.

"And...I'm sorry, as well." He said, then, looking away from Katherine as he did. "I suppose I have been a bit..._stressy_ as of late. But it's not your fault that this happened to me, and...and I should be more grateful for what you did."

Katherine turned to him, wearing the same expression he had given during her awkward apology. But he was speaking from the more honest part of his being now. To this woman's credit, she did rescue him from certain doom, even without knowing his story (or the truth of it, in his case). She could have finished what was started and ended him with one good whack with her umbrella, or she could have walked away and left him for dead...but she didn't.

This woman saved his life, even though she had little to no reason to trust in him. Granted she was so argumentative and aggravatingly sarcastic, but...not a bad person.

"As irritating as you are," Pythor admitted, "you could be a lot worse."

Katherine snorted at that, giving a smirk. "Is that supposed to be a compliment?"

"The best compliment about you that you're going to get out of me."

She snorted again, even chuckling a little. "I could say the same for you...I guess."

Pythor glanced at her as she got up to her. Katherine sighed as she looked out at the mess in her living room, putting a hand on her hip. She seemed tired from just looking at it.

"This is gonna be fun to clean up..."

Pythor stared at her for a couple moments before gingerly getting up from the floor. He leaned on the table, looking over at the trash-covered living room with Katherine. He contemplated to himself...

"I'll do it." Pythor volunteered, looking at Katherine. He caught her surprise when she blinked at him, which he didn't bat an eye at. He would have been astonished, too.

"After all," he said, sitting up, "it's my mess. I should be the one to clean it up."

Katherine blinked again...and then she looked away, shrugging a little. "I'll help you. There's no reason why I shouldn't lend a hand."

Before Pythor could object, Katherine opened the cabinet under her sink and pulled out a few garbage bags. She handed one to him.

"I'll take one side," she told him, "and you take the other. That fair?"

Pythor nodded after a moment. "I suppose..."

She wasted no time getting started. Katherine took the right side of the living room, unaware that Pythor was staring at her. He found it odd that she was now willing to help clean up the mess he had intentionally made, even though she had been demanding he do it not fifteen minutes ago. Did it really take an apology for her to be cooperative with him? It made no sense...suddenly _she_ made no sense.

Pythor shook his confusion off, deciding it was better to spend his attention on his current objective rather than wasting aimless amount of time staring at the woman. He slithered to the other side of the living room and started cleaning up.

He found himself thinking back to his father and uncle while doing this. Pythor couldn't help but wonder...could their relationship had been different if someone like Nikkei had finally spoken some sense into them? Maybe things would have been different for them all if...

Pythor sighed quietly, shaking his head at himself. He needed to stop dwindling on the past. No amount of wondering could change a thing. The past was the past, and he had to keep it behind him...no matter how difficult that was right now.

* * *

**Author's Note**: Hey, guys! Sorry this chapter took so long, but I have a good reason why! That reason being: I have a job now. Yes, I have entered the adult world...and it sucks. Like, a fat one. I-I didn't sign up for this, man. Can I just not and say I did? But anyway! Chapter eight is FINALLY here! Now that I have adjusted to my newly adult life, I can start writing again, so hopefully the next chapters won't take so damn long in the future :)

Once again, thank you all for the continued support for this story! Your reviews and favorites mean so much to me, even the smallest view is encouraging enough! Thank you and I love you all!


	10. Chapter Nine

**Disclaimer****: I do not own any of the original "Ninjago: Masters of Spintizu" characters, nor do I own the original settings. I only own Katherine, Beck, Nikkei, Doctor Alan McKullan, Hydro, Chandai and Khozah****.**

* * *

**NINE — "A General Among Generals" **

Life wasn't easy underground – or so people believed – but the Serpentine made do, considering their past. They were natural adapters, thankfully, but that didn't mean they weren't limited. It was the same situation all over again. They were left with so little – barely any food or water.

Only now they were staying underground by _choice._

They knew the people of Ninjago were searching high and low for them, especially the Ninja. And they also knew one of the first places they would look for them was their underground fortress. They had no other choice but to destroy it so they could cover up their tracks. Even the other underground tombs weren't safe.

The Serpentine had to build a new home for themselves, one much deeper beneath the surface – more secluded and hard to track. It took the Constrictai days to build. They burrowed for what seemed like forever. But they managed to build a path where the working Serpentine could safely go under with tools and begin building their new home.

Once it was big enough, the others settled themselves inside. Days became a week. Their new home wasn't quite well put-together as their old fortress, given the rushed circumstances, but the Serpentine weren't complaining in the slightest.

A sloppy home was better than no home.

Almost each Serpentine that were capable took on different responsibilities. Some were to continue expanding their underground home while others were to go out and hunt. Some were scouting, some were gatherers and some were to tend to the needs of the sick and old – which was quite an important job. Since anything could happen underground.

That was Selma's job.

She was very knowledgeable in treating injuries and illnesses thanks to her family line of healers. Selma was quite an expert healer. Since the pink Hypnobrai was hatchling she was taught how to treat injuries of all kinds, as well as different types of ailments. She was shown all kinds of herbs and remedies that could help ease pain, bring down fevers or heal up scratches and scars.

And Selma gladly taught the other inexperienced Serpentine these methods.

It took some pressure off her shoulders knowing she could leave a patient in another's care without having to worry so much.

Today was a day where she did such.

She had been tending to a Fangpyre who had sprained his leg during his work on their home when a female Venomari assured her she could take a break. Selma had been treating the injured they had all day, and a break sounded quite nice. As she walked away, she couldn't help but wonder where Skales was...

Selma searched all around, but he didn't seem to be underground. She went to the surface cautiously, knowing full well Skales hated it when she would leave for it by herself unprotected. There was a spot on the surface Skales always visited when he wanted to be alone...

She pulled herself out of the whole that lead to the outside of the city, pushing back the branches that covered the whole. Selma made sure to put them back neatly before going to find Skales. She was surrounded by the thick trees of a forest, quietly walking down a gravel trail on full alert. Pushing back a branch, she found the Hypnobrai General standing alone on a ledge, where the city of Ninjago could be seen from miles away. He gave her his back as he stared at it silently.

Selma stepped out. "SSSkales?"

Skales turned to the pink Hypnobrai and blinked. "SSSelma?" he asked, somewhat surprised. "What are you doing? You shouldn't be out here by yourssself. It'sss not sssafe."

"I know," she replied, thoughtfully, as she approached him, "but I wanted to sssee if – maybe – you...wanted sssome company?"

Skales opened his mouth – he looked like he was going to assure her that he was all right. That there was nothing wrong and to tell her to go back underground before someone nearby heard them speaking – but he said nothing... He sighed then, followed by a nod. "Company doesss sssound nice right now..." he confessed, unable to lie to Selma.

Selma was the only person Skales allowed at a close distance, even closer than he allowed Fangtom to be despite the fact they were childhood friends. During their years locked away under all the ice, she was one of the few in their Tribe Skales felt he could rely on for support. Not only because of her knowledge on medicine and healing but for other reasons as well.

She always knew what to say to cheer Skales up, always knew when he needed someone to talk to even when he said he wanted to be alone...she was a great comfort to him. Most of all – she was still the same towards him even after he took the title as General.

That alone meant more to Skales than anything.

They sat on a large stone next to each other as they gazed out at the city. Selma politely waited for Skales to speak, knowing he always liked to thread his words together before he spoke so his mind wasn't all over the place and he'd babble aimlessly. Sometimes it took him a few minutes to put the right words together, and the silence and Selma's patients helped.

"...I'm beginning to doubt if there really isss _still_ a place for usss on the SSSurface." He confessed finally, now knowing how to voice all the things weighing on him. Selma looked at him. "I thought our current predicament wasss difficult, now we're being hunted down like criminalsss...but criminalsss with nowhere to go but underground."

Selma looked down, the heaviness of Skales' words weighing on her. "It...It could be worssse, SSSkales." She told him gently. "The Devourer could have eaten all of usss, but it didn't. Everyone'sss still alive."

"And now they all have to live underground again." Skales reminded. He sighed again, a twinge of regret showing in his demeanor. "Fangtom hasss hardly looked me in the face sssince thisss all happened. I know he blamesss me for putting them all in thisss sssituation."

Selma frowned. "You didn't know Pythor wasss mad."

"...But I did." He admitted, causing Selma to fall silent. He didn't have the heart to look at her.

She stared at him, her swirled eyes wide. "You did...?"

"I could tell Pythor wasss too driven by revenge to sssee there wasss a possssibility he would fail, but...all hisss talk of retribution and justice made me start to wonder that-that maybe – just maybe – he could really do it. That he could releassse the Devourer and we could take back the SSSurface."

Skales had tried to convince Pythor that the Great Devourer was just a legend – a story. But when he found the Lost City of Ouroboros through sheer will and determination, the Hypnobrai's opinion of the plan start to change. Like the others, he too started believing that this mysterious Anacondrai was the answer to their prayers. He held onto the hope that their future would finally see sunlight.

That hope also made Skales willing to give Pythor the benefit of the doubt. He became his _more_ loyal number two the closer they came to collecting the Fang Blades.

But once they realized the Devourer was just a bloodthirsty monster out to satisfy its colossal hunger, the backlash Skales received was immense and instant. No Serpentine trusted him, not even Fangtom. He knew they all blamed him as much as they did Pythor – Skales was unfortunate enough to be alive to suffer it for the both of them.

Selma was silent, but her frown at Skales was sympathetic. She had known that he was also all-for in unleashing the Devourer, but she had no idea that he was fully aware how sick and twisted Pythor's vengeful mind was.

"Honestly, SSSelma," Skales said then, glancing at her, "I'm sssurprised you're not angry with me asss well."

"You made a mistake." She consoled with a soft, caring voice. "We...We _all_ did when put our trust in Pythor and hisss actionsss. And now we have to move on from it."

"But how?" Skales asked her. "We're back to where we started, and now it'sss even worssse."

"We just have to sssurvive, SSSkales." Selma said, putting a hand over his, almost automatically. "Right now, thingsss like ranksss and titlesss do not matter. Every SSSerpentine isss doing their part to better our sssituation. Once we find a sssolution, thingsss will get better. But until then...we all need to stick together."

Skales was speechless for a moment, her words sinking in. He sighed after that, and then nodded understandingly. Selma was right. Bigger things currently mattered more than Skales' self pity. He knew that the Serpentine would need a leader soon, now that Pythor was gone. Even if he was alive, the chances of them accepting him back were slim to none.

The damage he caused was there – the people of Ninjago _and_ the Serpentine were now suffering from it.

They would undoubtedly want a leader who would surely guide them through this nightmare, someone driven by something other then revenge.

He wrapped his claws around Selma's, giving a little squeeze. She scooted closer and Skales leaned against her shoulder, grateful that at least one Serpentine from his Tribe still thought kindly of him. But he knew better than to doubt Selma. She had always been thoughtful towards him, dating back since they were hatchlings.

Skales could never shut her out, even if he tried.

She was one of the few people in his life who really mattered to him, who he could never deceive or use to his advantage. Her happiness meant so much to him...so much that he was willing to believe a lunatic like Pythor and help him unleash the Devourer if it meant he, Selma and the other Serpentine could live happily on the Surface.

Selma felt a light flush on her face as Skales stayed leaning against her. She swallowed, hoping he wouldn't feel her heart thumping in her chest. Clearing her throat quietly, she glanced at Skales curiously, noticing he was going back to staring at the horizon again.

Selma looked out at it with him, watching as the sun set behind the city. They knew they would have to go back underground soon...but, for now at least, they wanted to watch the sky for just a little while longer.

* * *

He stood in the center of the enormous training room, which was filled with device and machinery that only Serpentine were skilled enough to create. He was an intimidating sight, with glowing green eyes and scarred on different parts of his body, as well as his chipped fang tooth. He was different than most Anacondrai, but his appearance never bothered him. Those scars were lessons, and so was the chipped tooth.

Some were from the hand-built machines around him. They were mechanisms suited for preparation into battle, standing taller and larger than most Serpentine – _most,_ of course.

For Hydro – who was gifted with incredible height and strength – these dangerous mechanisms were child's play now. They were covered in marks and scratches, and some of the spikes sticking out of them were broken. They were as harmless as training dummies to Hydro.

But thankfully, he had something better than dummies or worn-out machines...

Hydro stood solid, awaiting for any movement. His only weapons was the giant sword strapped to his back and the dagger sheathed at his side. He was absolutely calm, almost expecting. He could feel all of them watching him from their hiding spots, eyeing the gold feather hanging from the string tied around his belt.

Just when he sure they were going to take another twenty minutes to plan an attack, he felt movement on his right side. Hydro glanced at his Tribe member, who had taken a bold plan of action and charged with his weapon swinging right at him. But the Anacondrai General didn't carry an ounce of surprise or intimidation.

He dodged swiftly, craning his lengthy body backwards and successfully avoiding the attack made for his feather. He acted fast in the next heartbeat – moving so fast that blinking would have made someone do a double-take at him – as he grabbed the Anacondrai with one arm and his dagger with his other, slicing at him just a moment before he tossed his subordinate over his shoulder like he was a rag doll.

The Anacondrai dropped his weapon as he was flipped by his powerful General, falling straight to the floor and landing on his back. With the wind knocked out of him, the Anacondrai muttered something dizzily about seeing stars.

Hydro sighed, slightly annoyed.

"And that is why you never blindly charge at your opponent." He said loudly, so the others could hear him. "Although it's a move that's never expected, it will most likely cost you your life if you're not careful."

Hydro looked around. There, on the ground in front of him, was the feather he had sliced off his subordinate. He picked it up and dangled it in front of his subordinate.

"You're dead, Vero. So that means you're out."

Vero scowled and muttered grouchily as he got up from the floor and went to the "Dead Corner". As usual, he was one of the first out.

Hydro then lifted the feather higher, so that the others could see. "That's one member dead. So I recommend you all not do what Vero did and join him in the Dead Corner."

He tied the feather around his. Now he had two.

Then – one by one – he gained more feathers. After almost three hours, he had fourteen; fourteen Anacondrai were in the Dead Corner. Hydro only needed two more.

He waited patiently, his dagger still the only weapon drawn.

The two left were Chandai and Khozah. Two Anacondrai that were stuck together like glue since their hatchling days. They were like shadows with each other whenever Hydro trained them. One of them leaving each other was near – if not – impossible.

They were also the only ones with their feathers.

"H-He's waiting for us, Khozah!" Chandai nervously whispered. "Like-Like a lion waiting to strike!"

"A lion wouldn't wait for the prey." Khozah told him, who was always the more calm and collected one compared to Chandai. "They stalk."

"You know what I mean!"

"Chandai, Khozah."

The two looked back out from their hiding place when they heard their General call their names.

"Whenever you both are ready...hopefully soon." Hydro's guard was still up, but it was obvious he was getting bored with waiting. He slithered in a circle in his spot, keeping an eye out for them.

Chandai swallowed. "Now he's taunting us!"

Khozah tilted his head. "He seems more bored than taunting, really."

"What are we going to do?"

"...We have to attack eventually."

"I know, but we're the only two left! We'll end up in the Dead Corner with everyone else – like last time!"

"Chandai!" Hydro called, growing annoyed. "Khozah!"

Quickly, the two thought of a plan – one they hoped wouldn't get them killed.

Hydro was in mid-turn when he heard Chandai finally bolt from his hiding spot with a cry of power, charging at him with his weapon ready. He tried not to roll his eyes as he held his dagger, ready for the attack.

Then – at the last second – Khozah became visible in front of Chandai. He swung his weapon, catching Hydro off guard. He backed away quickly, avoiding the attack.

The two took that moment to swing again, this time together. Chandai and Khozah aimed for his feather.

Hydro acted fast, pulling out his sword. He blocked and their weapons came down. The weapons collided – before Chandai and Khozah's shattered like they were glass. In the blink of an eye, Hydro swung his dagger at them both, slicing the strings of their feathers.

The two were dead before they hit the ground.

They blinked, their hearts pounding as they panted. Looking up, the two saw Hydro with their feathers.

"All sixteen."

He sighed then, taking the feathers from his belt and holding them over his head for all his subordinates to see.

"This needs to stop." He told them, his tone cold and unforgiving. "I will not be the last standing in battle. You all need to buck up and improve. Before we know it, we'll dwindle away into nothing, and I'm not having that."

Hydro let the feathers go, letting them drop to the ground.

"We are stronger than others Tribes, we install fear in the hearts of humans, we are warriors – we are Anacondrai."

He turned to them, noting their guilty, heavy expressions.

"We're training again tomorrow, and I expect a better performance."

He left them dead and unsatisfied. No words of praise and encouragement.

The sixteen Anacondrai were silent, none of them had anything to say. They were too embarrassed to even look at each other. Chandai and Khozah sat up, looking at their Tribe sympathetically.

"How many times do we all have to 'die' to get it right?" Chandai frowned, glancing at Khozah before sighing in defeat.

"At least we caught him off guard this time." Offered Khozah.

"Yes...I guess that lightens things up a bit."

Chandai picked up his shattered weapon, gazing at it. "He's truly a warrior, isn't he? Even after all these years, Master Hydro's power is impeccable."

"A General among Generals." Khozah said.

"Most definitely." Agreed Chandai. "One of the few survivors of the Serpentine War...maybe that's why he's so cold."

Khozah shrugged. "Could be...or he's just a jerk."

"Yes, or that. But still...he is indeed a General among Generals."

* * *

Hydro slithered down the hall, his mind clouded. He slithered out to a balcony, watching as the sun set over the Sea of Sands. He sighed, tense.

_They're still too weak,_ Hydro thought, gripping the railings. _They would surely die if they displayed that carelessness in battle... _

He sighed, rubbing a temple. They were improving at least, despite the fact none of his subordinates never managed to get his feather...but there was something about their determination. It reminded him of...

Why? He asked himself. Why was he thinking of the past so much lately? Whenever Hydro was alone, his mind always wandered to them – of the broken shards that was his old life.

Before he took his place as General.

Normally, he would distract himself by sparring with the mechanisms, but – as of late – that routine wasn't helping to numb the emotions arising from someplace he thought he buried deep inside himself. Hydro sighed again, closing his eyes. _It's been so long since I've thought about them. Huh...who would have guessed that now _I _would start dwindling on the past. I must be getting old... _

He leaned over the railing, taking in the quietness. Hydro knew his subordinates despised training with him; granted, it wasn't like he couldn't see why. There was no praise, no support to lift them up. But he never offered those things, especially when they so horrendously failed to do one simple thing when sparring.

...Hydro could almost hear his brother lecturing him in his head.

_'Be kinder'_, he would say. _'Show that you care for their well-being.'_

Hydro rolled his eyes just recalling them all. He shook his head. He had to stop being so ridiculous.

A responsible General would never let the past affect their emotions.

"Giving into your weakness," Hydro said aloud, "is how someone gets killed...just like you did, Hydras."

Hydro was strong. He would never stoop so low and let his emotions carry him along so idly. To live, one had to be cold. Mercy was for the weak – survival was for the strong. If it was a choice between emotion and survival, he would choose survival.

...Only one can remain.


	11. Chapter Ten

**Disclaimer****: I do not own any of the original "Ninjago: Masters of Spintizu" characters, nor do I own the original settings. I only own Katherine, Beck, Nikkei, Doctor Alan McKullan, Hydro, Chandai and Khozah****.**

* * *

**TEN** — "Hopeful Thinking"

The garbage fiasco was a kind of turning point for Pythor and Katherine. The bickering – didn't end – lessened. It took almost the entire night to clean up, from the littlest egg shell to any coffee grounds in the carpet. Pythor was amazed at the level of expertise Katherine was at cleaning. He had never seen a more cleanly or tidy human.

She grabbed a bucket filled with water and some kind of cleaner for stains and odors, along with a vacuum and a spray that filled the air with a fresh scent. Katherine was like a warrior fighting against the trash. She took complete control and Pythor simply sat back and watched her clean.

The next day, they didn't address last night at all. They both felt it was better to move on from it and go on with their lives. As mentioned before, their arguing lessened. The two bickered about minor things – like when Pythor hogged the bathroom, or when he'd take a bite of things and put them back when he didn't like them.

That was the one thing that bothered Katherine the most. And it was their main argument the following morning when she opened her fridge and found a half eaten glazed doughnut back in the box. She clicked her tongue as she grabbed it.

Pythor was sitting at the counter with a cup of tea in front of him, relaxing as he waited for the painkillers to kick in. Tea was one of the few things Katherine had in her kitchen that he liked. He drank it more than she did, and she was glad that it wouldn't go to waste – unlike the food he'd bite out of and put back.

"Okay," she sighed, leaning against her fridge and presenting the half eaten doughnut to Pythor, "I don't know if this is a common thing among Serpentine, but taking a bite of something and then putting it back 'cause you don't like it is considered gross and rude to us."

Pythor didn't bat an eye. "I really don't see the problem. You leave half eaten food in there all the time. Like that dough with cheese and those other gross things on it."

"Hawaiian pizza." Katherine corrected as she dropped the doughnut in her garbage. "And that wasn't half eaten. Technically. There's slices of it. You're supposed to save the rest for later – not take a bite and put the rest away."

Then she poured herself a cup of coffee and sat across from him on the counter, looking at him rather sternly.

Pythor gave a quiet sigh, looking down at his steaming warm tea.

"...I suppose I do it just out of habit." He admitted, getting Katherine's attention. "If we took a bite into something we didn't like, then we would just offer it to someone else. Every little thing we gathered was important, so we assumed it was better to give someone something we wouldn't eat rather than let it go to waste."

He sighed again, "But, that being said, I will try to put that habit to rest."

Katherine looked at him, quiet for a little bit. This was another common thing since the other night. Pythor was less defensive of things relating to his back story or the other Serpentine. Granted, he wasn't open to discussion about it, but Katherine could see something was different. His behavior was tolerable, and he spoke to her with courtesy.

She looked down, her hands folding around her coffee mug. Then, after a couple moments of painfully awkward silence, Katherine gave a light shrug and sympathized:

"I mean...I get it."

She managed to get an eye ridge lift from Pythor when he looked up at her.

"I'm not mad – as much as I should be, anyway – that you leave half-eaten food around." Katherine clarified. "I was just more-so curious as to why you were doing it. That's all."

Pythor couldn't help but blink at Katherine, and for a moment he couldn't believe that this was the same woman who he'd fought with in a house full of garbage not even forty eight hours ago. Although, now that he was stopping to notice, she did seem more...tolerant of him. Given, even a moron could tell there were moments he easily aggravated her, but at the same time she was becoming more understanding.

Along with her attitude at him improving, her sly comments and sarcastic remarks had stopped (for the most part). Pythor could actually maintain a conversation with her that didn't result in an argument. He had to admit – as nice as it was – he still couldn't adjust to this change, no matter how minor it was.

_Good Lord,_ he thought in the middle of his pause, _I'm half-expecting her to end every sentence by calling me an 'ass' or an 'idiot'. At least I would know what to say back to it..._

He rubbed the back of his neck, clearing his throat awkwardly in the process. "Well, I'm...glad it's not that big a deal – "

"That doesn't mean I'll let you keep doing it." Katherine informed, in her no-nonsense tone of voice.

And there was the attitude he was used to.

He tried not to roll his eyes. "Naturally." Pythor replied, as curtly as possible.

There was a pause on her end. It was something she had been meaning to ask him, but since they were constantly at each others' throats, Katherine felt it was better to keep her question to herself, otherwise she would come off as uncaring. But now that she and Pythor could tolerate each other in a positive way, Katherine didn't see the harm in asking.

Pythor noted her silence but he paid it no mind. When she finally did speak it was a question he never imagined she'd ever bring up...

"Are you...Are you worried about them? The other Serpentine?"

Pythor's scaly lips firmed at the question, but not in a defensive way. The question made him tense only out of concern. When he wasn't pitying himself, he was thinking of the other Serpentine. None of them had been found by neither the authorities or the Ninja, which was a massive relief to Pythor. But at the same time there was still a gnawing paranoia whispering 'what if' at him...

"Yes." Pythor replied, his tone solemn as he tried to force down the weakness trying to break lose in his voice. "I've been worried for quite a while now."

Suspiciously, he asked, "I suppose this is the part where you start wringing me for information about their possible whereabouts, hmm?"

Katherine gave him a confused look. "What?"

But Pythor chuckled, dryly. He gave her a cocky head tilt. "Oh, come now. What do you take me for? Just because we're on a civil basis with each other now doesn't mean I'll blindly let my guard down. I still have my pride, you know."

Katherine didn't say anything – and Pythor was sure he had seen through her "game"...if she wasn't giving him the most dumbfounded look he had ever seen. Studying it made Pythor's cocky gleam shatter.

"That's...good to know." Katherine said slowly, humoring the paranoid Anacondrai with a nod. "I mean, nice to know you still have some pride left after what happened to you guys... But that's not why I asked you that question. I just wanted to, you know, see how this whole 'Serpentine Hunt' thing was affecting you. 'Cause I bet it's rough knowing everyone's out to get you guys."

Pythor was now the one with the confused look, but the shock and surprise were both there on his face as well. He blinked at Katherine, unable to believe that...she was _sympathizing_ with him. He studied her demeanor, spotting for any signs of dishonesty or trickery.

Katherine was giving him her full attention, holding her coffee mug thoughtfully with both hands as she was leaned comfortably forward. Those round, chocolate-brown eyes of hers meeting his with a patient and thoughtful gaze.

Pythor had...had never seen a human give him such an honest demeanor before. He almost didn't know what to do with himself for a heartbeat – didn't know what to say. He swallowed, quickly gathering himself back together before clearing his throat.

"Y-Yes." He finally answered her, looking down at the table with a heavy yet numb expression in his eyes. "It hasn't been easy waking up every morning with all this weighing on my mind."

"You think they're okay?" Katherine asked.

Pythor didn't meet her gaze as he nodded slowly. For some reason he couldn't look into those brown orbs and do-so...

"But they're resourceful." Pythor said. "I'm sure despite what yo...what others may think, we aren't stupid. We have a knack at making hiding spots."

"But the main place you guys were hiding in before got destroyed."

Pythor nodded again. "That was either a cave-in done by the Devourer, or by the rest of the Serpentine themselves to cover their tracks."

"That last part sounds a little like hopeful thinking..." Katherine lightly pointed out, making sure her tone didn't come off as uncaring.

Her reply made him chuckle halfheartedly, and he nodded lightly. "Yes...Yes, I suppose it is. But wouldn't you during a trying time like mine?" Pythor asked her, then. When she didn't say anything, he sighed quietly. "Hopeful thinking is all I have right now. I have to think of the best for them...because if I give up on them, then what will they have left? What will I have left? Nothing...absolutely nothing."

Katherine still had nothing to say. She took a sip of her coffee, processing all that. She had to admit, she wasn't expecting him to get deep like that. And...she also realized she was seeing a whole new side of the Anacondrai. A side he was willingly showing her, a side that was vulnerable.

She wasn't sure what to say, and she hoped he wasn't expecting her to. Clearing her throat now and setting her coffee mug down, Katherine scratched the back of her head.

"What about the guy who's responsible for all this?" she asked then, and Pythor's scales tensed so much they constricted his muscles and organs like chains.

"...What about him?" he asked back, acting aloof.

"Well, everyone wants to find him since all of this is his fault...but I'm sure a lot of them haven't figured out that they're looking for someone who already got what he deserved."

That was like a blow to Pythor's stomach. He swallowed, keeping it all inside.

"I-I'm not sure." He said, shrugging slightly. Pythor cleared his throat, going for another sip of his tea. "They may figure it out sooner or later."

Katherine looked at him for a moment. She glanced down before raising her eyes back at him, almost unsure to ask another question on her mind.

"Hey, can...can I ask a personal question?"

Pythor raised his eye ridges at her, a little caught off guard. Boy, she was just a barrel _full_ of questions this morning...

"Depends." He answered, after swallowing his mouthful of tea.

"It's about that guy – the one who unleashed that-that thing."

"The Devourer."

"Yeah, that thing. Did...Did you know him?" she asked. "You didn't really answer last time I asked..."

Pythor nodded, remembering. "I said it didn't matter."

"I know, but were you close to him? You said no one would miss him, but the look on your face when you said it made me wonder if...if you guys were friends or something."

Pythor sighed, getting tired of all her questions. "It. Doesn't. Matter."

Katherine sighed now, unafraid to roll her eyes. Talking to him sometimes was like getting a kid to give up their favorite toy...

"Okay, don't say it doesn't matter, all right." She told him, exasperated. "It's not a trick question. I'm just asking, you know, if you knew the guy or not. If someone I knew did something I was against, it would eat me up inside too."

That statement made him give her a look. "Are you implying something?" Pythor questioned.

"It's easy to tell you feel bad." She said. "I would too."

Pythor's jaw jutted out for a heartbeat as his eyes narrowed at Katherine. He didn't like what she was doing. He didn't like being read like an open book; it was humiliating enough that he had spoken vulnerably in front of a human, Pythor didn't need her exploring where he didn't want her to explore.

"I assure you," Pythor said, "there is no way you can relate to what I'm going through."

"Well, sure, not on every level. But...if you need to talk –"

"I don't." He dismissed, looking her in the eye. "I don't need to talk about it."

Katherine paused. She nodded after a few moments. "Okay...okay. I get it."

With that, she got up and went to her couch in the living room, while Pythor kept his solemn eyes low. He was looking down at his glass...he suddenly couldn't tell if it was half full or half empty.

* * *

There was silence majority of the day between them after that. They would mainly exchange glances at each other for a few moments before turning away. Neither of them were used to so much silence between them.

Around seven, Katherine was in the bathroom taking a shower while Pythor sat lazily in the living room. He kept a cushion under his back so he wouldn't put pressure on the wound on his side. It was the first time he was watching TV...and he wasn't quite impressed.

He flipped past channel after channel, able to work the remote from watching Katherine.

"This is seriously what humans do when they're bored...?" Pythor mumbled after flipping through another dozen channels. He sighed and set it down.

Then his eyes wandered to her dart board. Pythor had seen Katherine use it a couple times, but he couldn't quite wrap his brain around it. Pulling out a dart from her drawer beside her couch, Pythor examined it. Then he glanced up at the board...out of a whim, he threw it.

But he had thrown it terribly. The dart bounced right off. Pythor made a face. Katherine had made it look so easy...

"Nice shootin', Pilgrim."

Pythor turned and saw Katherine, her hair damp and towel dried, wearing loose, comfortable clothing. He cleared his throat, nodding towards the board.

"Is that, uh, a hobby of yours?" he asked her.

"Yeah," nodded Katherine. Picking up the dart from the floor before sitting beside him. "My dad taught me how to play. I wasn't a 'typical girl' growing up as a kid. I wasn't into a lot of things the girls my age were. Then one day my dad caught me playing with his dart board, so he showed me. The rest is history."

The she tossed the dart to the board, landing perfectly in the center target.

"It's easy when you get the hang of it." Katherine said, with a light smile at him. "Just takes a lot of practice though...you want to learn?"

Pythor blinked. "Me?" he chuckled dryly. "No."

"Why not?" she asked. "It's fun."

"I don't think I would be good at it."

"So?" Katherine moved over him, minding his injuries as she grabbed more darts from her drawer. "No one's good at anything when they first start. You think I was a master at darts since I was born? Far from it."

She offered him one, but Pythor was reluctant. "C'mon. Look, I'll wager you...if I can't show you how to land one after three tries, then I'll never bother you with this ever again."

Pythor's eye ridges went up. "Will you now?"

Katherine nodded. "I promise."

"...Well, how can I say no to a wager like that?" he chuckled, finally taking the dart.

She smirked, scooting over so Pythor could get closer and get a good view in front of the board.

"All right," she said, starting to explain, "now the objective is more about touch instead of force, okay? Make sure your grip is firm, but not tense. Be solid, but relaxed."

Pythor nodded. "Solid but relaxed...never even believed that was possible."

"Just try." She chuckled.

Pythor sighed, turning back to the dart board. He made sure his grip wasn't so tense before he threw the dart. But his grip proved him a liar, since the dart bounced right off the board from being thrown too hard.

Katherine clicked her tongue, and nodded. "Okay...well, lessen learned. _More_ relaxed." She handed him another dart.

Pythor took it, preparing to throw it again – this time with a more relaxed grip. Katherine saw he was using two fingers.

"Okay, wait. Use more than two." She told him. "More fingers will offer more control, and you have to coordinate them before you throw. Try again."

Pythor did, doing his best to follow the directions. But once again, he threw too hard. The dart bounced right off the board like it was made of rubber.

"You're too tense, man." She said, looking at him. "Ease up."

"It's not easy to be sturdy and relaxed at the same time." He complained, as she handed him another dart.

"Well, yeah, when you're paranoid about control." Katherine pointed out.

Pythor gave her an irritable side-glance. "I'm not paranoid."

"Really? 'Cause it seems like you're trying to knock my dart board off the wall."

Pythor sighed at that, rolling his eyes a little.

Katherine sighed as well, but quietly. She scooted a little closer, looking at him even though he was avoiding her eyes. "Look, relaxing doesn't mean you're giving up control. You can be solid and relaxed _and_ still have control. Ease up a little but don't lighten up on your grip too much, okay?"

Pythor glanced at her, raising a skeptic eye ridge. "...You're going to keep your word if I don't nail this, right?"

"I promised, didn't I?"

He sighed, but he took the dart. Holding it with at least three fingers, Pythor aimed. He relaxed his grip, but also made sure not to relax so much the dart would fall right out of his claws. Then he threw the dart.

It hit the board. Perfectly. The dart didn't hit the center, but it stuck to the board, nevertheless.

Pythor blinked, and Katherine smirked smugly. She leaned back on the couch, nodding proudly.

"See? Just had to ease up on yourself is all."

Pythor glanced between her and the dart board, still a little surprised at himself. He never would have expected that to work... Pythor looked back at Katherine, stopping and noticing her smile. It was friendly, sincere. He swallowed and looked away, clearing his throat.

"Uh, thank you."

"Think nothing of it." She replied. "It'll probably give you something to do instead of sitting around all day, you know."

Pythor nodded at that. "I hope...since that's not entertaining." He nodded at the TV.

"Oh?" said Katherine. "Huh...well, since you're not a couch potato guy, can you read?"

"Of course." Pythor answered.

"All right, then maybe I'll call Nikkei and ask her to grab some books from home." She offered, and then Katherine suddenly remembered: "Oh, by the way, Nikkei's stopping by. I...I kinda feel bad after the whole, uh, thing with the garbage and all that. She's bringing over some movies."

"Oh, sounds...fun." Pythor said, a little sarcastically.

"The time of your life, right?" Katherine chuckled, and then she got up, picking up the darts.

She started tidying the apartment up, and then there came a knock at the door fifteen minutes later. There was Nikkei, with some books and movies.

"Wow," Nikkei chuckled, looking around, "you would never have thought that there was garbage spilled all over the room, Kat."

She smirked. "Let's just say I was filled with determination."

Pythor heard the two girls chat it up from the kitchen as he looked for something to snack on. When he caught the sound of footprints approaching him, he looked up and found Nikkei smiling at him with two books in her hand.

"Here," she said, "for you. Since you're not a TV guy."

Pythor took them, looking at the covers and flipping over to the back to read the plots. They both sounded quite interesting. Hopefully these would help cure his boredom.

Pythor was about to thank her, until there came another knock at the door.

Katherine checked it – and she had to cover her mouth to silence her gasp when she saw who knocked. There, standing with his hands in his pocket, was Beck.

She spun around to Nikkei. "It's Beck again!" She whispered quietly, starting to panic. Katherine quickly went over to Pythor as Nikkei, grabbing them both and pushing them into her walk-in pantry, trying to get them in as fast as possible.

"Hey, what gives, Kat?" Nikkei quietly demanded. "I get why he has to hide, but why me?"

"Because you need to make sure _he_ doesn't do anything stupid while Beck's here!" Katherine hissed quietly, nodding to Pythor, who was pushed at the very back of the pantry. "I'll try and be as quick as I can, but you both stay quiet!"

She shut the door just as Nikkei and Pythor went to complain. The two glanced at each other, unsure how well this plan would work out. Nikkei was a tiny thing – especially compared to the hundreds of pounds that was Pythor's mass. A pantry that was more fit for Katherine and Nikkei's sizes was like shoving him in the slimmest crack between two walls.

There was little to no elbow room for either of them...

* * *

Katherine rushed to answer the door not a moment after she moved as fast as lightning to clean up her living room enough to give the illusion that only one person was living in the apartment. She greeted Beck with a nonchalant smile, hiding how breathless she was in a friendly tone.

"Hey, Beck!" she greeted. "What a surprise!"

He smiled back, walking inside. "Hey, Kat. Sorry to drop by unannounced."

"No worries." Katherine shrugged. "I wasn't doing anything. In fact, I was just starting to get bored right before you knocked."

The moment after she said that, she wanted desperately to rephrase it. _Wow. Sound casual, Kat. Not sad like-you-have-no-life sad... _

But she decided to save the self-barraging at herself for later. Katherine closed the door as she asked:

"So what brings you here, Beck."

He smiled at her as he took his brown jacket off (and Katherine hoped that wasn't a sign that he wanted to stay). "I wanted to come by and ask if you'd be interested in a job opening for a new building being made after the city gets rebuilt?"

Katherine blinked at him, forgetting all about Nikkei and Pythor trapped in the pantry together as she became a little eager. "What would it be?"

"I heard the new owner of a really old store is thinking about changing it into a bar since it has – or, well, _had _– so much open space. When we get to it, we're going to add more on so it'll be the actual size of a bar. They're asking around for potential bar tenders to keep in mind for the future."

She looked down, leaning her back against the front door as she considered that offer. "Maybe...I don't know if I'd be good at that, though. I mean, grouchy customers are one thing, but drunk ones are a whole other level."

"I know, but I think the sooner you get out of that diner the better. Your boss works you like you're a slave."

Katherine sighed. She couldn't deny that. Thanks to the power outage in some parts of the city, the diner had to close for the time being. This break was a huge relief to Katherine – or _would_ have been had Pythor not dropped in unexpectedly. But even when it was up and running, the money was still tight. And when money got tight, suddenly everyone had to pull overtime in that place. Not just that, but her boss would also get mean.

"When will it open?" she asked Beck, curiously.

"The guys and I are starting on it later this week." Beck answered. He was a construction worker, although he didn't look like one under all his baggy, loose-fitting clothes. He could operate any machinery involved with construction.

He and co-workers were certainly doing overtime with everything that had happened, as well.

"I think in a few months it should open up. But, like I said, you should talk to the owner soon and set up an interview. If your boss is a nice person, you should take it. It'll be good working with someone who doesn't rag on you all the time for once."

"Yeah," Katherine sighed, crossing her arms in thought, "that would be nice."

"And if it pays more, it'll get that Devon guy off your back about your rent." Beck added. "Hell, after a few months you could afford to move and live somewhere better than this dump."

Katherine had chuckle at him. "Man, you're really trying to sell me on this job."

Beck smirked, rubbing the back of his neck with a light bashful flush. "Well, yeah. I mean, it's a good opportunity. I think you'd be an amazing bar tender. You know, since you don't just sit there and let someone treat you like garbage. And..."

While Katherine and Beck talked, Pythor and Nikkei struggled for room inside the pantry. There was light shoving and aggravated whispers between them.

"You are stepping on my tail!"

"Then get your tail out from under me! And move your frickin' arm, dude, your elbow is like an inch from my face!"

"I would if there was any room in this damned tiny space!"

Nikkei felt her leg starting to fall asleep. She tried to move her foot, which resulted in her stepping on Pythor's tail just a little too hard this time. His yip was loud enough to get Beck's attention from the other room, and Nikkei covered his mouth in a heartbeat.

But now Beck was confused, which made Katherine nervous.

"Did you hear that?" he asked, looking back at her.

Katherine played dumb. "Hear what?"

"You didn't just hear that weird noise?"

She shook her head. "It was probably just Minnie. But, uh, what were you saying about the bar? Like what kind of bar tender is the owner looking for?"

Beck was still a little confused, but he eased up as he told her more about the job. After a couple minutes, Beck asked for some water, which Katherine happily got for him. He sat at the table as she filled him a glass.

"Has Devon been leaving alone?" Beck asked, concerned.

That made Katherine sigh. "Well, as much as he leaves the other girls in this complex alone."

"I think you should consider getting a roommate, Kat." Beck suggested, and Katherine almost snorted. Oh, if only she could tell him. He'd be shocked.

"Nah," she said, "I'm not really ready to, uh, share my home with someone just yet. Like, what if they're super selfish? Or obnoxious? Or we have a disagreement one night and they're so childish that they actually throw garbage all around my living room to spur me?"

That last part she said especially loud, so that there would be no way for Pythor to miss it. And he heard it loud and clear. He rolled his eyes with a light growl.

He could hear Nikkei go to say something, but he quickly shut her up. "I don't need your opinion." He hissed sharply yet quietly at her.

Nikkei's mouth shut tight.

"I get that, but at least you'd have someone to back you up when Devon tries harassing you." Beck said, out of concern for her.

"I don't need back up." Katherine gently objected. "I can handle Devon by myself, like I always have."

"But Kat – " Beck went to argue, until he noticed something that had been sticking out just an inch behind her toaster. It was a pill bottle...Pythor's antibiotics.

He curiously grabbed it, and inspected it. Katherine felt a pit open up in her stomach as he read the printing, his face wrinkling in confusion.

"Kat...why do you have these?" he asked, looking up at her.

"O-Oh, those. Uh, Minnie had a pretty nasty cold a couple weeks back. But she's fine now." She lied, trying to assure him.

"...But Alan prescribed these to you." He pointed out. "Last time I checked, he puts Minnie's name on the bottle. Why would your veterinarian give _you_ antibiotics?"

Katherine swallowed. She tried to think of something, but there wasn't a logical excuse she could make up that could explain why a vet had her name on pills meant for animals.

Beck got up, walking around the table towards her. He looked really confused, as well as concerned by her silence. "Hey, Kat. It's all right." He said gently, looking her in the eyes. "Whatever it is, you can tell me."

Katherine bit her lip. "Y-You're sure?"

Pythor – who had been listening in on the entire conversation – grew extremely tense at this point. He tried to get a good view of the two outside through the slots of the pantry, practically pushing Nikkei against the wall behind her.

"She wouldn't dare!" he rumbled lowly. "Is that woman out of her mind?"

"Quit pushing!" Nikkei whispered, trying to push him away so she'd have a little room.

But Pythor was so tense that he was like a boulder. Nikkei wasn't nearly strong enough to move him. He was nervous, watching and listening intently while _praying_ Katherine wouldn't give in and tell this man of their situation!

"Of course I'm sure." Beck replied. He took her hand in a gentle grip, looking deeper into her eyes. "You think I'll be mad, or something?" he asked, before giving her a friendly smirk. "You know I could never be mad at you."

Katherine glanced between him and the pantry, highly considering yet doubting at the same time. She had no idea how much she wasn't scaring Pythor with her silence.

He pressed himself more and more against the pantry door, his heart starting to race. He had no idea Nikkei was doing everything in her power to get him away from the door. He couldn't feel her hands trying to pry him back, but he was as solid and unmovable as a brick wall.

"Beck, uh...I, um..." Katherine had no idea how to tell Beck.

But he was patient with her, nevertheless. He simply waited.

Pythor placed his tense arm on the door when he felt his tail begin to fall asleep. Unknowingly, he put all his wait against the door – it couldn't hold him. The wood suddenly snapped, breaking open, and out the Anacondrai tumbled with a surprised and startled yelp to the floor.

Beck and Katherine turned to him with total shock in their wide eyes. The silence that hung in the air seemed to last for decades as Beck stared down at Pythor, who was cringing from his side-wound. He sat up as much as he could, unaware he was being stared at.

Katherine, worried and ready to explain, went to help him, but Beck suddenly grabbed her arm.

"Get behind me, Kat!"

Pythor looked up right when Beck pulled her behind him, but there was something about the way he had grabbed her arm that he didn't like. It was too forceful, and he moved her back like she was a rag doll. Pythor got up, feeling strangely defensive on this woman's behalf and moved a hand towards them.

"Hey -"

In the same heartbeat, Beck grabbed the closest thing beside him – a chair, which he was strong enough to grab and hold up.

Beck lunged at him. Pythor moved fast, backing against a wall behind him, followed by letting out a very threatening hiss at Beck.

"Beck!" Katherine exclaimed, trying to get his attention. "Beck, wait – "

"Don't worry." He told her, pointing the legs of the chair at Pythor in a defensive stance. "I-I think I got it scared."

Pythor hissed again, moving into a defensive stance as well. "I would put that chair down, little man, before someone gets hur – "

Beck went right for his face with one of the legs, knocking him in his snout. Pythor reeled his head back, covering his now bleeding nose. But he took the chance to grab the chair and pushing it out of Beck's hands. Then, moving with the speed a snake possessed, Pythor knocked the end of the chair that faced Beck straight against his chest.

Losing his wind and footing, Beck fell over, clutching his chest and coughing.

Pythor wiped the blood from his nose, smirking. "Still feeling bold, little man?"

That was when Beck pulled out a shift-blade from his pocket. He got right back up and charged at Pythor, who grabbed his arm and tried to fight him off. He struggled to get the knife out of his hand while Beck was more than ready to fight him off.

"Kat, Nikkei!" he exclaimed. "You two run and get help while I fight it off! Hurry!"

In the same second, Pythor's glare drifted off him and to Katherine, who was staring wide eyed at the scene.

"Aren't you going to help me?!" he growled at her, before turning and pinning Beck to the wall and hissing right in his face.

Katherine finally found the courage to move, running over and trying to force herself between them. "Will you both stop it?!" she shouted.

They both turned to her. At the same time they said: "He's trying to hurt you!" then – hearing what the other said – they glared right back at each other and shouted: "I am not! You are!"

"Nobody's trying to hurt anybody!" Katherine said, and then she looked up at Pythor. "Put him down, Pythor!"

Beck blinked at that, looking at Katherine with more confusion than he ever had before. "What?" but she and Pythor both ignored his question.

"I'll put him down when he drops the knife!" he hissed, glaring violet daggers at Beck.

Katherine turned to Beck. "You heard him, Beck. Put down the knife."

"Why the hell should I?" he demanded at her. "He's trying to kill me! And why the hell are you telling me to even put it down?!"

"I'll explain – but first put down the knife."

Beck glanced at Katherine for a moment, sometimes glancing at Pythor for a heartbeat. After almost a minute, he dropped the knife. And just like that, Pythor let him go.

Katherine got between them, pressing herself against Pythor and pushing him gently back a few more inches so Beck could breathe. Then Nikkei, seeing that things were more calm now, finally moved from her hiding place in the pantry and went to Beck, keeping herself in front of him in case he wanted to act like a hero again.

Beck rubbed his now sore arm, panting and looking right up at Katherine. "You've got five minutes to explain."

Katherine, feeling her heart pounding, took in a deep breath to calm herself down.

"Beck," she began, "this is Pythor. I...I found him a little while ago after the giant snake attacked the city. He was hurt so I brought him here. With Nikkei's help, she brought Alan over to treat his injuries. That's...that's where the antibiotics came from. They're for Pythor so his wounds don't get infected."

"If that was a while ago, why is he still here, Kat?" he demanded.

"Because he has nowhere to go right now, Beck. Not with everyone hunting Serpentine down."

"He shouldn't be here in the first place!" Beck shouted at her. "Do you have any idea how serious this is, Kat?! What'll you do if the authorities find out?!"

"There needs to be a witness for that to happen..." Pythor growled, intentionally making Beck uncomfortable.

Katherine slapped Pythor's chest with the back of her hand to stop him.

"That's not helping!"

Pythor rolled his eyes at her. "You're the one who was going to tell him."

"Yeah, _calmly!_ Unlike _you_ who broke the door and started hissing at people!"

"I hissed out of self-defense!" he rumbled, and then he pointed to his injured nose. "Do you see this? Why are you treating me like I'm in the wrong when I was the one attacked?!"

"Because you're being an ass and threatening him! That's not making you look good!"

The two argued more, almost forgetting about the situation at hand. Beck was stumped, completely dumbfounded and beside himself in shock. He couldn't believe he was watching Katherine defend and now argue with a Serpentine in her own home.

He looked at Nikkei. "You knew about this, right?"

She nodded. "Yeah. Right after Kat found him, she told me."

"And you're okay with it?"

"Well...yes and no." Nikkei answered. "I mean, I thought Kat was crazy, too. Believe me. And I'm worried that she'll get caught...but I can tell he's not gonna hurt her." She told him earnestly. "If he wanted to, he would have done it by now. And, honestly, Beck, I...I trust in Kat's decision to keep him here."

Beck blinked. "Why? He's a _SERPENTINE,_ Nikkei."

"I know, I know. But...she trusts him and so do I."

Beck sighed, wanting to rip his hair out. He couldn't believe his two best friends had lost their minds. He looked back at Katherine and called her, getting her attention from arguing with Pythor.

He nodded outside, wanting to talk to her privately.

She followed him, closing the door behind her and looking at Beck, who was rubbing his hand through his hair.

"Okay..." he said, and then looked at her, "give me one good reason why I shouldn't go down to the police station right now and turn him in."

Katherine swallowed. "Because, Beck...because who knows what the cops will do to him. You know how everyone feels about Serpentine right now."

"And rightly so!" he reminded her, "Have you forgotten they unleashed that giant thing – "

"The Devourer." She corrected, without meaning to.

"Whatever it was – they are the ones responsible for all this. Why do you care so much, anyway? You hate Serpentine."

"I-I know, I know. And I know what I did makes little to no sense, but...I-I felt terrible for what I almost did."

Beck raised a questioning brow. Katherine sighed, rubbing her low pounding forehead.

"I...I almost beat Pythor to death when I found him. And-And he didn't even try to hurt me, I was scared and angry and feeling all these terrible things when he's laying there – half-dead and bleeding – and I'm ready to knock his head in."

Katherine frowned, rubbing her neck. "I felt terrible when I realized how I was acting. Before I realized what was going to happen, I wanted to help him so that maybe the terrible things I was feeling would go away. I know I had no idea what I was getting myself into, but I can't take it back now... And since I'm being honest, Beck, Pythor's not...he's not a bad guy. I mean, he's as temperamental as a spoiled kid and thinks the whole world is against him, but underneath all that I think he's just lonely. And...I sympathize with that. 'Cause I know how that feels..."

Beck paused at that, taking it all in before he sighed. "He...He hasn't tried to hurt you, right? Not at all?"

Katherine shook her head. "We argue, but that's the full extent of it."

His hands went to his pockets, already feeling tired. "...I'm going to stop by more often. Just to form my own opinion of him, okay?"

Katherine blinked at Beck, but she nodded.

"And if I feel that he's a threat to you, I will head right down to the station and turn him in. All right?"

Katherine smiled and nodded again. "Thank you, Beck."

"Yeah, well, not like I can argue with you when you set your stubborn mind to something." He shrugged, giving a light smile.

Just like Nikkei, he had to trust in Katherine's judgment, too. As long as she didn't feel her life was at risk, he would support her.

They went back inside. Nikkei was cleaning up the broken parts of the pantry door from her kitchen floor. Pythor had a rag to his nose to get the bleeding to stop. They both turned when the two walked in, but a nod and a smile from Katherine assured them that everything was all right.

"Well, I've had enough excitement for one night." Beck said, picking his shift-blade from the table and putting it back in his pocket. He gave Katherine and Nikkei a smile. "I'll see you two later."

The three said goodbye to each other. As Beck walked to the door, he glanced at Pythor with a cold look. Pythor shot it right back, giving a quiet growl in the process.

Beck opened the door, and then suddenly he pointed between Pythor and his eyes with two fingers. He gave a stern and distrusting face.

Pythor blinked...but he didn't think twice about mimicking it right back at the male human, making a _very_ stern and _very_ distrusting face to prove he could do it better.

After an eye roll, Beck finally left. Nikkei left shortly after him, since she had enough excitement for one night, too. Katherine understood and bid her a kind farewell.

It was just her and Pythor again. They sat on the couch tiredly, sighing heavily from the long night.

"...You think we can trust him?" Pythor asked her, his nose no longer bleeding.

Katherine nodded. "Yeah. I think we can." Then she gave him a quiet smirk. "Gotta think positive in our situation, right? Otherwise we have nothing...right?"

Pythor paused at that, glancing at the woman. Nevertheless, he nodded in agreement.

"How's your nose?" she asked him, changing the subject.

"It's sore, but at least it's not bleeding anymore." He answered. "He surprised me with that chair. I didn't think he would actually use it."

"Yeah," Katherine chuckled lightly. "That's Beck for you."

"I assume he's not fond of my kind?"

She shook her head. "Not the least bit. But I promise he's not a bad guy."

"...And he'll be coming around more often?"

Katherine nodded, which made Pythor sigh heavily.

"Don't worry." She assured. "I'll make sure to keep the chairs out of his reach."

* * *

Here's chapter ten ^^ enjoy. Also, big thank you to rainbowdragon01 for helping me out with a scene I was having trouble with.


	12. Chapter Eleven

**Disclaimer****: I do not own any of the original "Ninjago: Masters of Spintizu" characters, nor do I own the original settings. I only own Katherine, Beck, Nikkei, Doctor Alan McKullan, Hydro, Chandai and Khozah****.**

* * *

**ELEVEN — **"It's Strictly Taboo"

As he had promised, Beck came around Katherine's apartment quite often (much to Pythor's dismay). He didn't have to scent him to know how the young man felt about him. His demeanor towards him was more than enough for Pythor to see Beck didn't like him in the slightest.

He'd give the Anacondrai suspicious looks when he'd glance at him, and Beck always acted as a wall between him and Katherine — as if he was prepared to be her shield in case Pythor felt "aggressive". After his first visit, Pythor had had enough of the young man, but since he could not simply dispose of Beck the easy way, he would have no choice but to be passive aggressive.

Since they could not get along, Pythor decided to be the bigger snake and leave the room whenever Beck stopped by.

The pain from his wounds and his diminishing ego was more than enough humiliation; if he wanted to be treated like a criminal he'd go outside and let the authorities deal with him. But what irked him the most was the young man's audacity. Beck reminded Pythor of the more confident and arrogant bunch of the Ninja. Always full of himself, always jumping to conclusions — it was enough to make Pythor's scales rattle.

But Pythor – in spite of all this – eavesdrop on Beck and Katherine's conversations after he'd leave, just to make sure there was nothing being spoken of him behind his back...and sometimes to fill in his own boredom.

There was one conversation between them on the third night he visited that caught his attention — not simply because it referred to him, but also because they mentioned more of the pressing matters that were attached to his predicament. It a few minutes after Pythor confided himself in the guest bedroom, when he heard Beck say:

"So he just sleeps in the other bedroom? Like he's your roommate?"

Katherine responded, "Pretty much." Her tone insinuated a shrug.

He caught a chuckle from Beck. "And you said you hated the idea of having a roommate." But then he quickly became serious again. "Kat, I still don't get it...you and I both know all the messed up things the Serpentine have done, but you saved him because you felt bad?"

There was a pause on Katherine's end.

"Yeah...that's pretty much the whole reason." She admitted, which made Pythor blink in surprise. "I know it's not exactly a positive one, but what else can I say? It's the truth."

He waited for her to make some sort of sarcastic remark, but she didn't. Pythor glanced to the side, taking that last part in. At least this female had enough dignity to be honest... _Quite admirable,_ he thought to himself.

"But Kat -" Beck sounded like he was about to lecture her, until Katherine quickly interrupted.

"I know, Beck. I'm fully aware of the kind of trouble I'll get into if anyone else finds out about him. You, Nikkei and Alan are the only people who know Pythor's here."

"Kat, I get that, but you could go to _prison!_" he emphasized. "You've got too much on the line."

Pythor's eye ridges went up when he heard a bitter chuckle from Katherine. He'd lived with the female to know that sound of that chuckle meant she was going to make some kind of cynical retort of some sort. But he wasn't expecting this:

"You know that's not true, Beck." Katherine said. "If I went to jail, I'd be exactly where I am now: in a dead-end job with barely any money to pay for my crummy apartment in the slums of Ninjago. I can't even afford a car. If I miss the bus or can't get a taxi, I'm walking to work."

Beck tried to argue. "Yeah, but, Kat, those things can change."

"Not easily." She told him. "I didn't make all the right choices in life, and the choice of letting Pythor stay or not could possibly be just another bad decision. I'll be honest, getting caught by the cops and being put in prison scared me a lot at first, and it still does now, but...it is what it is."

That last part took Pythor aback a little. 'It is what it is'? What kind of a phrase was that? Human philosophy?

Beck was quiet for a moment. Pythor figured that even he was caught off guard by that statement. Then he heard the young man sigh.

"Kat, I thought we talked about that cynical mentality of yours."

Katherine groaned. "Yeah, I know. I know. But I'm just stating the truth."

The two began arguing at that point. Pythor tuned them out, slithering back to his bed. He laid down, minding his injuries, and then he sighed. _Humans,_ Pythor thought as he looked up at the ceiling, _I may never understand them..._

It sounded as though Katherine had come to accept all of this...in defeat. Which, in all honesty, Pythor couldn't disagree with. Even he knew there was no point in fighting something that couldn't be changed, no matter how much he wished he could. What he'd done...what had happened at the Lost City of Ouroboros...it was all proof that no matter how hard one person fights to make it all right again, bad situations can never be undone.

They can only get worse.

* * *

The next morning Katherine received a very disappointing phone call: the diner got its power back. She had no choice but to get out of bed two hours early and get ready for work. Pythor opened the door of his room tiredly, stopping and blinking when he saw her in her work outfit. It was just a navy blue shirt with "Deb's Diner" printed on the front. Her sleeves were rolled up and she was dressed in black from the waist down.

He watched her pull her black hair up into a pony tail.

"...What are you doing?" he finally asked her, looking her up and down with his tired eyes.

"Going to work." She told him, not at all pleased about it. Katherine went around her living room and kitchen, gathering her things while ignoring Pythor's stumped look.

"You're just going to leave me?" he demanded.

Katherine dryly chuckled at him. "If only, but no. I called Nikkei and she's going to watch you while I'm gone."

Pythor blinked at her. "Nikkei?"

"Yeah, Nikkei – the only person who can tolerate you. Unless you'd rather I call Beck?"

He gave her a minor glare; if that was a joke, it wasn't funny. Katherine never batted a nervous eye at him. If anything, she seemed slightly more smug.

"That's what I thought." She said. "I gave Nikkei a run-down about your medicine and other things. She has mine and Alan's numbers if anything goes wrong. As for you," Katherine pointed a stern finger at the Anacondrai, "I expect you to be kind and courteous while Nikkei is babysitting you. No sarcastic remarks, no pressuring and uncomfortable questions, okay? Be nice for once."

Pythor nodded at all that irritably. "Yes, yes. I understand all that, but I must ask: why did you just call it that?"

"Call it what?"

"'Babysitting'."

"Because Nikkei _is_ babysitting you, pretty much." She told him distractedly, heading for the door to shorten the disagreement so she wouldn't miss the bus due to Pythor's easily offended ego.

"I am capable of looking after myself." Pythor said sharply, but the woman only chuckled.

"No, you're not. Not in your current state, anyway Just shut up and enjoy the luxury you're getting. I'll be back around five." Katherine closed the door when she left.

* * *

Nikkei showed up ten minutes after Katherine left. Pythor laid on the couch, actually trying to watch TV for once. He found this one show in particular called the "Jack Davros' Survival Show". It was...interesting.

He was this well-built man — possibly in his late twenties — with short brown hair and a stubble beard to match. He was wearing all kinds of survival gear, from knives to matches and lighters and even his own survival booklet, which Pythor could tell he was secretly promoting it. His face was on half the cover of the small booklet, filled with his own personal tips and survival instincts.

The Anacondrai narrowed his eyes at the man the more he watched the show. He seemed utterly shameless.

Jack Davros and his camera crew were in the Toxic Bogs, journeying through it with stealth awareness...and very well thought out camera angles.

"The Toxic Bogs are very dangerous." Jack said to the camera following him. "It's not a place for the faint of heart. It's the home for all kinds of venomous creatures."

Pythor snorted at that. "It wouldn't be called the Toxic Bogs if it weren't..." He muttered.

When the TV show got boring and predictable, he happened to look over at Nikkei, who was sitting at the counter. She was huddled over something, engrossed in whatever she was hard at work at. Pythor couldn't stifle his curiosity, so he grabbed his cane and gently got up off the couch.

Pythor slithered up behind Nikkei. He saw she was tinkering with a small metal ball, beside her was a lamp she had pulled over to give her better lighting while she screwed something into it with a tiny screw driver. Nikkei was so engrossed that she never noticed Pythor looking over her shoulder.

He tilted his head, trying to figure out what she could have possibly been making.

Then the ball opened up abruptly, and an incredibly _bright_ light flashed right into Pythor's eyes. It caused him to not only go blind, but to also shriek and fall over. He landed on the floor with a painful sounding thud.

It ended with him groaning from the pain. That was what had gotten Nikkei's attention. She turned to him, wearing a pair of thick sunglasses so that what had just happened to Pythor wouldn't happen to her (she had learned her lesson about always wearing safety gear a long time ago).

She lifted them up and saw Pythor sprawled out on the floor.

"Oh, man, Pythor! I'm so sorry about that! Are you okay?" she fretted, kneeling down beside him.

"No!" he snapped, shifting away from her. Pythor gave her a glare — well, not exactly _at_ her. He still couldn't see her, so he gave the air over her head one terrifying look. "What in the hell was that thing?!"

Nikkei clapped her hands, getting his eyes to fall on her thanks to the sound. "That was one of my little inventions I've been working on." She told him. "It's a bit buggy."

"A bit?" Pythor questioned, highly doubting that description. "I was nearly blinded and you say it's a _bit_ buggy!"

Nikkei shrugged, understand full-well why he was mad, bur she had no better explanation. "Well, I'm not lying. It's not supposed to go off at random like that."

"Then what is it actually for?"

"I don't know yet." Nikkei stood up, heading back to the little device. "So far it's just something I'm putting together, like a project."

Pythor rubbed his eyes, starting to get his vision back. "So you're an inventor...?"

Nikkei smiled, a shimmer of pride in it. "Yup – er, well, not an official one. I'm more of a tinkerer if anything right now." She took the little ball and showed it to the Anacondrai, who braced in case it bugged out again. "It's still far from being finished, but I'm proud to say it's a good invention...even if I have no idea what it's good for yet."

Pythor snorted, gently getting up from the floor. He was still quite annoyed. "Well, if you ever need to blind someone, that device will most certainly come in handy."

"I said I'm sorry, okay?" Nikkei repeated. "It was an accident."

"Just forewarn me when you're tinkering with something like that next time, won't you?" he asked , as he slithered to the couch to ease his throbbing wounds while rubbing his temple. "You three humans can be so exhausting..."

Nikkei set the device down and gave a slight eye roll at the Anacondrai, leaning against the counter. "There you go with that again. You act like Kat, Beck and I are forcing you to stay here against your will or something."

Pythor glanced at the blonde. "No, but I'm not exactly surrounded by sympathetic people." He lightly snapped.

"Don't start that, man, seriously..." Nikkei complained. "Compared to where you could be right now, you should be a lot more thankful to us for keeping you a secret. Especially to Katherine."

Pythor snorted at that. "I'll give that woman my thanks when she adjusts that condescending attitude of hers."

Nikkei's lips firmed, now starting to understand Kat's frustration with this snake. She wondered if all the Serpentine were stuck-up and stubborn as Pythor. All their wars with each other would make more sense, then...

"I know Kat has her faults, but she's a breeze compared to how the authorities would treat you." She reminded him.

Pythor chuckled bitterly at that. "So I'm always reminded..."

He didn't understand why he was constantly informed of that. Katherine would say that so much, enough to make Pythor wonder if she would actually turn him in if he didn't change his attitude towards her. But an inkling doubt in the back of his mind made him question otherwise. Her and Pythor's bantering was enough of an incentive for her to expose him to the entire city – but only _if_ she was that cruel of a person...

Nikkei had to walk away for a little bit when he said that, heading to the bathroom. "I swear, it's like they're the same on every hard-headed level..." she muttered before closing the door.

Unbeknownst to her, Pythor had caught every word in that mutter. He blinked at her as she closed the door to the bathroom.

Then a scowl crinkled deeply on his scaly brow, a growl in the back of his throat. He couldn't believe Nikkei had compared him and Katherine together. They weren't anything alike! At all!

Katherine was the concoction between aggravation and a headache. She was loud, obnoxious, argumentative, annoying – everything he hated in humans. Skales was less of a pain than that irritating woman. At least he would spare Pythor by saying how much he hated him behind his back. Katherine was just a bother that he had no choice but to put up with.

As were her two companions – Beck especially.

All three of them were just nuisances that Pythor couldn't wait to be rid of.

Pythor fell out of his ranting thoughts when he noticed a dart on the nightstand. He took it, and then threw it at the board. It stuck far below the center. He sighed, laying his chin in his palm. As annoying as that woman could be, at least she gave him a side hobby to do while he was to recover.

Just when Pythor was about to grab another dart, there came a whistling from outside, and then he heard the mail slot open. Three envelopes fell through it. Pythor heard the mailman whistle away.

As much as he didn't want to care, his curiosity got the better of him. Pythor got up and slithered over to the pile. He used his tail to pick them up instead of bending over. One had an address that he didn't recognize, so he flipped to the next one. He noticed this one had a name on it...

Jennet Briggs.

Pythor blinked at the name, remembering that that was Katherine's last name as well...

"What are you doing?"

Pythor quickly looked up and found Nikkei. She stomped forward and took the mail from him before pointing a stern finger. "You might live here for now, but that doesn't mean you can just try to read Katherine's mail. That's rude, you know." She disciplined.

Pythor ignored it and asked, "Who is Jennet?"

Nikkei blinked at the name, but not out of confusion. She seemed surprised, almost stunned. Then she looked at the name on the envelope and her eyes widened at it instantly. Pythor could scent that there was something wrong here, even Nikkei's wide-eyed look alone was enough for him to detect the same thing.

He was about to ask what the problem was before Nikkei walked over to the trash can casually and threw the envelope away.

"That's nothing." She said, not looking at the Serpentine as she placed the other letters in a basket on the counter.

Pythor gave her a suspicious stare. Did she really think he was some half-wit?

"Katherine's last name is Briggs, is it not?" he asked, slithering to the counter as he met Nikkei's eyes. Pythor sat across from her, keeping the eye contact while he moved his tail towards the trash can right beside it.

Nikkei nodded nonchalantly. "It is, but there's a lot of Briggs in the world."

Pythor dully nodded at that, taking hold of the envelope with his tail and pulling it towards him. He grabbed it from under the counter and cut the top open cleanly with his claw. The sound of the tear was what got Nikkei's attention. She glanced the the letter-less trash can then at him. As he started silently reading it, she lunged over the table to try and snag it from his claws.

But the Anacondrai's reflexes were still sharp as ever. Pythor used his tail to push himself and his seat away from Nikkei's grabby hand just as she went to take it from him in that desperate rush. Never once did his eyes drift from the paper.

It read:

'Hello, Katherine. How has everything been? Good, I hope... My group and I are performing in the local theater in Ninjago, which is nice. It's our annual tour again. We're performing a very wonderful play this year that I know you'd just love. I took the liberty in slipping in three tickets – just for you, your father, or for a couple friends in case he's busy. And...if you're not too busy, I was thinking about stopping by your place tomorrow. Just to see how you're doing. I hope I can see you... Sincerely, Mom.'

Pythor blinked at the closing. His violet eyes floated over to the picture of Katherine and her father...

Nikkei finally grabbed the letter out of his claws angrily.

"What in the hell is your problem?" she demanded sharply at him. "You can't just read someone else's mail! Do you have any idea how rude that is?! Katherine's mail is her privacy!"

Pythor drowned out Nikkei's yelling as he scanned the room for a picture of this said Jennet. But aside from the one on the nightstand, there were none. He started putting this puzzle together in his mind.

Nikkei could tell she was being ignored, which irritated her more. She crossed her arms and glared at the Anacondrai, gripping the letter in a firm fist.

"Hey!" she snapped loudly, and Pythor looked at her. "Look at me! Don't go through Kat's mail anymore! It's rude!"

Nikkei walked back around the counter. She was about to rip the letter, but Pythor stopped her by asking:

"So her mother is in theater?"

Nikkei looked at him. "That's none of your business."

"I never even realized that there was only that picture of her and her father." He said, nodding towards the frame on the nightstand.

"Can you stop?" she irritably demanded. "Please? It's Kat's business."

That was when Pythor muttered: "She seemed to have some parental issues..."

Nikkei then slammed a hand on the counter top, getting his attention once again. She leaned across it, once again pointing a stern finger at him. But this time Nikkei was much more serious, actually giving the Anacondrai a hateful glare. Almost a warning look.

"Listen, right now," she warned, her tone harsh and cold, "what you just read in this letter has nothing to do with you, with me or _anyone_ else. It is Katherine's business. So leave it be."

Nikkei crumbled the letter up but instead of throwing it back in the trash can, she walked out to the veranda and dropped the paper ball into the dumpster down below.

Pythor watched her close the door to the veranda, that scowl still on her blonde brow. "I'm warning you now, since I know how persistent you can be." Nikkei said, turning to him and crossing her arms. "If you even _try_ to talk to Katherine about this and you insist on it – you deserve whatever hell she reigns upon you."

Pythor's eye ridges went up slightly at that. In truth, he was a tad surprised that always peace-loving Nikkei just said he deserved whatever came about from speaking to Katherine about this, and also that she was getting so heated over something that – apparently – had nothing to do with her.

Nikkei walked past him, unaware that Pythor was hiding the envelope behind his back...


	13. Chapter Twelve

**Disclaimer****: I do not own any of the original "Ninjago: Masters of Spintizu" characters, nor do I own the original settings. I only own Katherine, Beck, Nikkei, Doctor Alan McKullan, Hydro, Chandai and Khozah****.**

* * *

**TWELVE** — "Parents...Am I Right?"

_"You are our only hope!"_

_"With your Tribe on our side, our enemies won't stand a chance! They wouldn't dare challenge the might of Anacondrai!"_

_Both Hydras and Hydro sat in front of the Hypnobrai and Fangpyre Generals. They were gathered around a stone table in a room where the Anacondrai history was carved on the walls. Statues of once great Generals – their forefathers – stood tall and proud. Counting their father, there were sixteen. They were placed along both sides of the wall together in two groups of eight._

_It was known as: "The Hall of Generals."_

_The table was at the center of the room, under their watchful stone gazes._

_The Fangpyre General was named Fangzom, and both his heads were giving the brothers a simultaneous pleading stare. But his companion's expression wasn't as insistent. The Fangpyres had formed an alignment with the Hypnobrai Tribe, whose power of hypnotism and sharp minds made them valuable allies. But as cunning as they were, the Hypnobrai had a tendency to be distrusting and...annoying at times._

_General Mezorro was his name. His demeanor was as cold as the icy environment the Tribe preferred. He and Hydro had been lightly glaring each other down since their arrival. Mezorro was quite more sharp and stern when compared to Fangzom, like a shard of ice hanging over someone's head from high above, one that was just waiting to fall and strike them down._

_Both Generals had quite a few scars, undoubtedly from the Slither Pits they fought in – either by taking their titles or by keeping them. No General was without one or two. They were a sign of determination and success._

_Only Hydras was a different story, for his older brother Hydro was his second in command and loyal protector. He bared all _scars_ that would be _on_ his brother right now._

_It was rare for a General to be blessed with two offspring, but their father made sure both his sons would be able to protect themselves, each other and the Tribe. Both boys exhibited these qualities well. In the end, their father carefully made the final decision based on their natural instincts in dire situations; Hydro was a natural protector and Hydras was a natural leader._

_There was no bitterness between the brothers when the decision was made. If anything, Hydras was relieved to still have his older brother by his side. He had someone reliable to turn to when he felt cornered._

_Much like how Hydras felt right now..._

_General Fangzom and General Mezorro showed up unannounced and the refused to be turned away. That alone was a red flag to the Anacondrai General. But he still wasn't prepared for their proposal..._

_"I am sorry," Hydras told them – for the third time – with a sympathetic but steadfast expression, "but my answer remains the same. We will not ally with your tribes, or with any tribe for that matter."_

_From the moment they slithered into their home, the Generals offered proposal after proposal in return for the _Anacondrai's_ loyalty on their side. Their proposal for an alignment had been dragging on for almost two and a half hours._

_"Whatever issue you two have with the Constrictai and Venomari is yours and yours alone." Hydras said. "My brother and I refuse to take any part in the senseless quarrel you four create."_

_His older brother and second in command stood beside his seat, tall and true as always. He carried over no opinion in this aggravatingly dragging and utterly pathetic attempt in an alliance._

_"General Hydras," said one head of Fangzom's heads, "if I may? This senseless quarrel, as you call it, does have a reason! The Constrictai and Venomari have no respect for our hunting grounds! Numerous amounts of prey are disappearing, so much so that we have to drift over into human territory just to hunt!"_

_"We have not been caught hunting in their _landsss_ yet," said General Mezorro, "but that _isss_ a chance neither of _usss_ are willing to take. The _sssooner thisss endsss_ the better, which _isss_ why Fangzom and I have come to you pleading for your help."_

_Hydras took in a breath and exhaled through his nostrils quietly. This constant begging was growing tiresome at this point. He was able to sense his brother's annoyed look from behind, and Hydras was trying so hard not to reflect it. So many times one or more Generals from each of the four tribes had sat at this table and begged for the powerful might of his people to join theirs, and so many times they had to be told the same thing:_

_"No." Hydras said, his expression becoming as firm and sharp as the blade of a sword. He stood. "For the fourth and final time – I decline your offer."_

_Fangzom and Morzorro met his stern stare._

_"My guards will escort you out." Hydras said. He went to turn from them._

_"No!" shouted General Morzorro in utter refusal, causing Hydras to freeze and look at him. He stood and glared at him. "I cannot _ssspeak_ for General Fangzom, but I am _sssick_ of you Anacondrai looking down on _usss_!"_

_The Hypnobrai General started to slither around the table with the intent to confront Hydras face to face. "We may not be _asss_ powerful or _ressspected_ as you, but that _doesss_ not give you _bastardsss_ the right to turn your damn _nossses_ up at _usss_ just _becaussse_ –"_

_But the sound of metal scrapping against leather made the angry General halt at just the right moment._

_Hydro moved quicker than a breath of air into a protective stance in front of his younger brother, unsheathing his broadsword from on his back and pointing it straight at the Hypnobrai General. He met those alerted and started swirled eyes sharply, his stare alone cutting through the cocky attitude of the once mouthy Serpentine._

_There was a sense of forebode in his gaze. As if he was well aware how the situation would end – depending on the Hypnobrai's next decision._

_"You and General Fangzom were told to leave, General Morzorro." Hydro reminded. His voice demanded immediate attention and unquestioned obedience. "Now, kindly, escort yourselves out so that General Hydras will not have to repeat himself."_

_Hydras tried to remain calm as he put a hand on his brother's shoulder. "Hydro, please..." he whispered, a nervous hint on the edge of his voice. But his brother never removed his sharp stare off Morzorro, who slithered back a couple inches from the sword._

_Fangzom stood then and put a hand on his shoulder, getting the Hypnobrai's attention. "We tried, Morzorro. We tried..."_

_But the General sneered and shook off his hand, giving the Anacondrai brothers one final glare before they slithered out the exit._

_Hydras sighed, rubbing his head while Hydro wore the phantom of a grin on his lips in satisfaction. He lowered his guard, taking the weight of his broad sword and laying it against his shoulders._

_He turned to face his little brother. "Well, that could have gotten ugly..." he said, sarcastically._

_Hydras gave him a look. "Hydro, not now. Please."_

_But his brother chuckled, a hint of cynicism in it. "Not that they don't have a right to be angry. How many times have they and their ancestors come begging for our aid, despite us turning them down every time?"_

_"What else am I supposed to say?" demanded Hydras. "The four Tribes have been at each others throat for hundreds of years now! I want no part of it!"_

_"We're all tired of it as well, Hydras!" Hydro exclaimed. "Just suck up your pride and pick a side so we can end it! That's how it will all stop for good!"_

_"No, Hydro, our interference will only make things worse – for the Tribes and ourselves. The last thing we must do is pick sides and make enemies."_

_Hydro gave a sneer, rolling his eyes. He hated when his brother spoke like that. He sounded far too soft, too sentimental._

_"Honestly, Hydras, grow a damn spine for once! Sometimes morals have to be put aside for the better!"_

_Hydras glared at his brother. "So you would put meaningless violence above your own morals and values?"_

_"If doing so stops all the fighting, then yes!"_

_That response only fed the flames of their arguing. And young _Pythor_ was witnessing it all. He had followed his father and uncle as they escorted the visiting Generals to the Hall of Generals, using this as an opportunity to practice maintaining his invisibility powers._

_He was always curious about other Serpentine. He hardly ever saw a snake from another Tribe, much less a General from a different Tribe. It was so rare that _Pythor_ just couldn't stifle his curiosity._

_He followed far from behind, keeping up his invisibility just as his father had shown him. As soon as they entered the hall, he hurried behind one of the statues and watched the whole meeting..._

Pythor_ regretted that decision. He was nervous for his father through the entirety of the session, reading into the glare the Hypnobrai had on his face the whole time. Thankfully, his uncle stepped in when he did. Even _Pythor_ had a feeling something bad would happen to his father if the angry General came any closer._

_But this fight between his father and uncle was worse than that confrontation ever could have been._

_Nothing good ever came out from a fight between them, no matter how long their arguing dragged on. His father would say a point, and then his uncle would say one. Nothing was ever truly resolved._

Pythor_ looked between them, swallowing down a nervous lump in his throat. He slowly backed away towards the entrance, hoping neither of them would spot him._

_But luck wasn't on the young _Anacondrai's_ side, as a piece of the statue's foundation gave out under him. _Pythor_ lost his balance and fell over with a loud thud on his backside._

_Hydras and Hydro's eyes shot right over to him. He could feel their stares._

_"Son?" questioned his father, surprised._

_But Hydro made a displeased snort, finally sheathing his sword._

Pythor_ glanced over at his father and uncle. "Uh...s-sorry..." it was the only thing he could think to say._

_He blushed from embarrassment as his father pinched the bridge of his nose and sighed. "We'll finish this discussion later, brother..."_

_Hydro crossed his arms. "If this 'discussion' is even worth bringing up."_

_But Hydras was done. He happily gave his brother the last word as he went over to his son and helped him up. Putting a hand on _Pythor's_ shoulder, they left the Hall of Generals._

_An uncomfortable silence hung between Pythor and his father. He wasn't sure if he was upset at him for eavesdropping on the meeting or if he was just upset at Hydro._

_Surprisingly, it was his father who broke the silence._

_"Son," Hydras said, "answer me something: If you were in my situation...what would you have told the Hypnobrai and Fangpyre Generals?"_

Pythor_ blinked at the question, looking up at his father. He could tell by his expression that he wanted a genuine answer. So he paused to think..._

_"I...I would have told that there may be another way for everyone to get along." _Pythor_ answered, looking back up at his father. "That instead of fighting with the Venomari and Constrictai, we could all _get together_ and negotiate peacefully."_

_Hydras nodded slowly at that. "I see...but, son, let us say there was no way to negotiate with the other Tribes. What would you do then?"_

Pythor_ frowned again, looking away. That one was quite difficult to answer..._

_"...I would make them think of another way to act peacefully." _Pythor_ said, then. He spoke with a tad more confidence. "If they admire us so much, then we shouldn't give up on something just because a few people don't want to listen. And if they see we're determined...then maybe they will be, too."_

_He noticed his father fell silent as he said this. _Pythor_ looked up at him, finding a smile on his face. He waited for him to say something...but he simply put a hand on his head._

_"That's my boy."_

_Was all he said._

* * *

Pythor made sure to hide the envelope from Nikkei when she left. But even when Katherine came home, he still didn't show it to her. He wasn't even sure how to go about it with her...much-less as to why he even cared so much about this!

But...he had a feeling pushing him forward to do this. And he couldn't ignore it.

The next morning, Katherine didn't have to go into work. She and Pythor woke up at the same time. Unusually, their day together began tame and quiet. He got his cup of tea and herself a cup of coffee.

As he took his medicine, his eyes briefly floated over to the envelope's hiding spot – under the toaster. Over and over again, Pythor imagined different ways he could present it to Katherine's attention...but Nikkei's warning kept echoing from the back of his head:

_"If you even try to talk to Katherine about this and you insist on it – you deserve whatever hell she reigns upon you."_

He kept asking himself throughout that whole morning if that letter was even worth that kind of a headache...Pythor also wondered if that warning from Nikkei was foreshadowing of Katherine kicking him out or turning him in.

...He doubted that last part. But the first part was a major possibility.

Pythor, for once, was so intent with inner thoughts that he barely said a thing all morning or mid afternoon.

Katherine noticed almost instantly, and it made her slightly concerned.

She was at the counter feeding Minnie while Pythor sat in the living room, quietly – pretending – to read a book.

Stroking the cat's back, Katherine looked over at Pythor. She quickly thought of a conversation topic, one that would at least get the Anacondrai to talk for a few minutes.

"So, I think I'll give Alan a call and have him do a check up on you."

Pythor looked up and blinked lightly. "Alan...?"

Katherine gave him a look. "Yeah, Alan. Dr. McKullan, remember? The guy who bandaged your whiny ass up."

She added on that sassy remark to see if Pythor would make some sort of obnoxious retort. Just to make sure he was still himself.

"Oh, yes, the doctor." He replied casually.

Katherine waited for a second...but no snappy comeback. That worried her a little...

"Yeah," she muttered, eyeing him skeptically. "I figure it's about time he checks out those injuries. They're looking better, but I'd rather have an actual medical opinion and make sure, you know? Better safe than sorry..."

Pythor turned back to his book and gave a light hum in agreement at that; he'd already lost interest in the conversation.

Katherine sighed quietly. Seeing beating around the bush wasn't going to work, she decided it was better to get to the problem itself. She walked over and sat beside the quiet Anacondrai, inwardly telling herself:

_Don't be awkward, Kat. Don't be awkward..._

She took in a deep breath and let it out, thinking of the best way to ask her question.

"...So you've been abnormally quiet today," Katherine started to ask, glancing at the Anacondrai, "anything you want to...you know...share?"

Katherine studied Pythor's slightly baffled expression at her, making her instantly wish she could take back and rephrase her question. She reprimanded herself for it.

_Dammit! Why do you have to be such freaking awkward person, Katherine?!_

Pythor raised an eye ridge at her, not at the question but at the fact that Katherine seemed concerned over his quiet attitude. He expected her to prefer this instead of their constant bickering. This dumbfounded the Anacondrai for a good few moments.

"Uh, you know what, forget it." Katherine dismissed, then. "I think I've got the wrong idea here."

She went to get up, but Pythor suddenly stopped her.

"N-No," he said abruptly, getting her attention. "I...There-There is, actually, something I need to speak with you about..." He tried to say. But, for once, the words weren't flowing naturally to Pythor's tongue.

Yet Katherine still patiently waited, sitting cross-legged beside the verbally struggling Serpentine with a patient expression.

Pythor finally sighed, burying his face into his hands in slight frustration at himself. Why was he having so much trouble addressing this...? Finally, without looking at Katherine once, he grabbed his cane so he could stand up and slithered to the kitchen.

He decided to get it over with – like ripping off a band-aide.

Dumbfounded, Katherine watched as Pythor lifted up her toaster and snagged an opened envelope. He turned and presented it to her.

"This came in the mail for you yesterday," he said, "a letter from a woman named Jennet Briggs."

Katherine's eyes widen, a pit ripping open in her stomach. Then, like her very life depended on it, she bolted from her couch and ran at the Anacondrai. She shot her arm out and ripped the envelope from his grip with speed Pythor would never expect a human to possess.

She ignored the tear at the top as she opens it, finding only three tickets...

"The letter's gone," Pythor told her, then. Katherine's back straightened in shock, but she never turned to him. "Nikkei threw it out last night."

"...But you read it."

Pythor nodded. "Yes, I did. The entire thing."

"..."

"If I may? Judging from the letter, I think you should -"

Katherine reeled back with her hand and silenced the Anacondrai with the sharp back-handed slap that filled the whole room. The sound of it startled Minnie so much that she jumped off the counter and ran to another room.

Then there was silence, as Katherine glared up at Pythor with burning brown orbs of wrath. Her breathing was rapid and fast, as she tried to keep herself together. The back of her hand stung immensely, the skin already red from colliding into Pythor's smooth scales and his firm jaw bone.

Pythor was surprised by the slap...but not as surprised as he could have been. He barely knew anything vital about this female, but he knew since the moment Nikkei grabbed and threw out the letter that he would be venturing onto thin ice if he so much as tried to address Katherine about the story behind it.

So, he simply looked back at Katherine, meeting her seething glare without so much as an inkling of shock or bitterness in his eyes.

"How dare you..." she breathed, holding in all the heavy emotions begging to pour out. "How dare you stand there and even **begin** to condescend at me about this!?" Katherine shouted.

Pythor said nothing. He made no face, no growl, no eye roll...he just stood there, looking at her.

"How dare you even try to make a defense on her behalf!" Katherine harshly berated at Pythor, whacking the envelope against his chest. Then she held it up in front of Pythor's face. "This woman is a selfish, despicable sack of human garbage! I don't care how she sounded in her letter! _It doesn't change a damn thing!_"

Pythor was still silent. He saw Katherine inhale before she shouted again.

"You want me to tell you what my dad and I had to go through, huh?" she demanded. "You want me to tell you how he had to get two jobs to pay for our home, put food on the table and keep me in school? Oh, not to mention the therapy sessions I had to go through growing up to help with my_ 'abandonment issues'_ and my _'distrust in older women'_ – sessions she was never once present for!

"Or would you like me to tell you about what it was like growing up without a mom? How I envied and hated kids that had two parents! How I'd get made fun of! How I'd get into fights! How I had to be transferred to another school because I kept fighting! How I made my dad's life a living hell throughout the first couple teenage years of my life! You want to know all these things? 'Cause I got all damn night!"

Katherine ripped the envelope into numerous shreds as she yelled all this – as soon as she finished that last part she tossed the handfuls into the air and glared at Pythor, almost daring him to say something.

But he didn't.

Pythor had nothing to say. Not a word. All he could do was stare at her...

He saw a change, then. In her eyes. The anger began to subside a bit...so that heartache could settle.

Tears brimmed in Katherine's angry, but weakening glare. "Everybody's lives sucks." She said, coldly, as she fought to hold in all her emotions. "It's just a part of living. Human or Serpentine, it doesn't make a bit of difference." Her fist tightened, and then she looked straight at him and said: "You think about that next time you try to make us out as the bad guys."

Katherine walked past Pythor. She opened and slammed her door.

...Pythor could hear the sound of her crying on the other side. Slowly, he turned to her door...quietly, he slithered and listened in. He put a hand on the wood and felt a warmth radiate from it – a sign that Katherine was leaning against it and sobbing.

It was then there came a knock at the front door, and a soft voice spoke from the outside.

"Katherine? Are you there?"

Pythor, naturally, didn't respond. But he blinked, as he then remembered a part of the letter...

'And...if you're not too busy, I was thinking about stopping by your place tomorrow. Just to see how you're doing. I hope I can see you...'

He couldn't believe that her mother actually came...

When the woman received no response, she sighed quietly. "All right...but, in case you are there, Katherine, I just want you to know that...I love you. I always will...and I'm...I'm sorry."

It seemed there was more she wanted to say – Pythor caught the hesitation when she went to speak again. But she stopped, possibly feeling it was better to leave it at that. He heard her footsteps as she walked away.

Her brief yet emotional apology left Pythor speechless. He wasn't sure how to react to it. All of this...was putting Pythor in an odd place. One he hadn't been to in years. All sorts of emotions stirred in him, from what had happened with Katherine and from just now with her mother.

It made him recall his own youth, of his relationship with his father when things began changing in his life. He remembered being as angry as Katherine was at him once, yelling with that same level of rage and hurt as it all burned inside of him. Pythor also remembered his father simply speaking kindly to him, always saying _'I love you'_ or _'I'm sorry'._ Pythor realized it then...reading her mother's letter was like reading his own father's words.

_I love you._

_I'm sorry._

_I love you._

_I'm sorry._

Now Pythor understood why he was willing to venture into Katherine's personal territory. It was the exact same reason why he'd had so much trouble approaching her about the subject...

The Anacondrai leaned against the door, feeling Katherine's body heat against his back. He fell solemn and quiet as dark memories came flooding back... Katherine's sobbing was the only sort of sound made in the apartment.


	14. Chapter Thirteen

**Disclaimer****: I do not own any of the original "Ninjago: Masters of Spintizu" characters, nor do I own the original settings. I only own Katherine, Beck, Nikkei, Doctor Alan McKullan, Hydro, Chandai, Khozah and Jack Davros****.**

* * *

**THIRTEEN** — "Hey There, You Familiar Face"

Katherine and Pythor were not on speaking terms. At all. She never left her room, until the following morning. Pythor had a feeling to stay in his, knowing avoiding her was the safest card to play for now.

He heard her leave her room and rummage around outside, figuring she was getting ready to go to work. Ten minutes later, she left. Pythor gave it a couple more minutes of established silence before finally coming out of his room. Just as he thought, Katherine was nowhere to be found...except for a note that she had left on the counter.

It read:

_'Do what you want for breakfast. I'll be back in a few hours. The door is locked. Go through my mail while I'm gone and I'll knock you unconscious and leave you at the nearest zoo. Try me if you think I'm bluffing.'_

Pythor rumbled in annoyance. Clearly, she was still quite upset about yesterday...and he wished he could hate her for it.

He sat at the counter and sighed, rubbing his neck. Then he yawned, his eyes feeling heavy; it was hard for one to sleep to the sounds of a miserably crying female just next door. Pythor was so tired that he'd thought he already made his morning cup of tea. He reached over and took a sip of the half-full cup of coffee Katherine had made for herself when she got up.

The moment the caffeine touched his sensitive pallet, he spat it out dramatically. Although to Katherine it was a tasteful way to start her morning, to Pythor it was like he had just took a sip of muddy water. He gagged in disgust.

"Repulsive!" he spat. "She drinks this vile every morning?"

Pythor prayed that that wasn't foreshadowing to an awful day...

* * *

Katherine had met up with Nikkei and Beck at their local breakfast cafe, which now had its power restored. The three friends frequently visited it, since the cafe was always a calm and relaxing place to talk. She had sent them both a text asking if they could meet there.

Both Nikkei and Beck sent a reply almost instantly saying they would see her there.

The cafe had a special place in the three friends' hearts. The owner started it when they were all in their preteen years, around the time when Katherine transferred to the same school Beck and Nikkei attended. The three friends were the first customers the cafe ever had, and it became one of their favorite spots to spend time at.

Katherine was the first to arrive, waiting until her friends showed up to order. But that wasn't long. Almost ten minutes later Nikkei arrived, and Beck walked in two minutes after her. They ordered their usual drinks, all the while noticing how calm everything was; as if all the troubles outside were nowhere to be found in the cafe.

It was a change of environment, and the three friends happily accepted it.

Unlike Beck, Nikkei had a good idea why Katherine had asked for their company in a familiar place where she felt the most comfortable. She saw that look on her friend's face and her heart dropped...

Beck immediately noticed something was wrong as soon as he had walked in, despite being unaware of the situation. He was the big brother between the two women.

As soon as the waitress dropped off their drinks and walked away, he looked right at Katherine and hissed very quietly in a protective manner:

"What did he do, Kat?"

Katherine rubbed her forehead with her drink close in front of her. She sighed, avoiding both Beck and Nikkei's gazes. But eventually she looked at the blonde.

"...He mentioned the letter to you, didn't he?"

Katherine nodded solemnly, which made Beck blink in confusion.

"What? What letter? What are you two talking about?" he asked the girls. He hated being in the dark.

As much as Katherine wanted to shine some light on the cryptically brief exchange she and Nikkei just shared, she didn't have the heart to explain. It was Nikkei who spoke up in her place.

"Um...Kat's mom sent her a letter in the mail the other day while she was at work. Py – uh, _he-who-must-not-be-named_ found it. I threw it out and told him not to speak with Katherine about it..."

"But he did." Katherine said, then, getting Beck to look at her in surprise. "And he even tried to make some kind of opinion about it, like he was the damn voice of reason."

Just mentioning it made her blood start to boil. She took a quick sip of her drink, trying to keep her blood pressure under control. But Beck's was just starting.

"And what did you do about it?" he asked her.

"I slapped him."

Nikkei blinked, as did Beck. He even laughed lightly, quite impressed with her. But Nikkei was the opposite.

"Kat," she went to scold, "that's –"

"That's amazing." Beck chuckled.

"No, it's not." Nikkei argued, lightly whacking Beck's arm. She turned to Katherine. "I mean, I know it was the heat of the moment, but...to slap him?"

"I'm not proud of it...anymore, anyway." Katherine sighed. "I heard the superior tone in his voice as he spoke and I just lost control for a moment. I doubt the slap even hurt him; it hurt me more. Literally. Just look."

She lifted the hand she had been hiding on her lap since they arrived, where a bruise was fully formed on the back of it. It was a deep purple, a sign that it was still quite tender.

Nikkei and Beck both fretted over it a little, gently taking her hand and examining it.

"Jeez, Kat." Nikkei frowned. "This is awful."

"Don't remind me." She grumbled. "I have little to no strength in that hand. I nearly dropped my cup of coffee on myself this morning..."

Nikkei asked, "Have you spoken to him at all?"

"Nope. And I don't want to."

"You can't avoid it forever, Kat." She advised kindly. "It'll be brought up again."

"Yeah, and next time you should just reel your hand back and punch him in the face if he tries." Beck told her, getting a more firmer whack on the arm from Nikkei for it. "Ow! Well, she should!"

"So she can what? Break her own fingers? Besides, they already had one physical fight, the last thing they need is one with actual punches."

Katherine sighed, pulling her hand away. "That's not gonna happen, guys. It's not gonna become a huge bloodbath between you-know-who and I. We'll just keep going like yesterday never even happened."

Nikkei looked at her skeptically. "Just like that?"

She nodded in total certainty. "Just like that."

Nikkei and Beck wanted to argue, but they didn't see the point. They knew Katherine taking their advise was a fifty-fifty chance, especially when it came to issues about her mother. Her tendencies to be headstrong and stubborn amazed them at times, so much so that they wondered if she got an enjoyment out of avoiding issues...

It was then the three heard something from the TV hanging from the corner far across from them.

"So, Mr. Davros, you and your team claim to have found a Serpentine skeleton?"

They all turned, finding their local museum was displayed on it and in front of it was none other than the famous Jack Davros himself, wearing a proud grin.

Katherine, Nikkei and Beck turned to it. As soon as he saw Jack, Beck snorted to himself.

"Look at his stupid smug face..."

Ever since his rise into fame, Beck always disliked Jack Davros. But neither Nikkei or Katherine ever knew why.

Then Jack responded to the question.

"Actually, we _have_ found a Serpentine skeleton." He corrected. "I was journeying through the Sea of Sands just after the Toxic Bogs and on my second day of exploring we come across a claw sticking out of the sand. My team and I dig it up and discover an entire decomposed Serpentine body." Jack's smirk widened. "And my team believes that the body I found is actually none other than an Anacondrai."

Katherine's eyes widened at that, her entire body becoming stiff. Even Nikkei and Beck were frozen with shock.

The anchorman of NGTV appeared on screen.

"And since little is known about the Anacondrai Tribe, Jack Davros is kind enough to donate his discovery to Ninjago's own museum so that more can be learned of the mysterious Tribe. And in honor of his wonderful donation, the museum is hosting a meet and greet for Jack this evening. All are welcomed, and you can pay for your stamp of admission at the museum's front doors on arrival."

Katherine couldn't explain her feelings, but she could tell there was a good chance Pythor would catch wind of this news. She drank her drink and slapped her money on the table, plus a tip for their waitress before getting up.

"We gotta go. Now." She told her friends, who acted just as fast.

They also paid for their drinks and hurried out with her out the cafe. Beck was the only one who brought a car and they piled into it. He drove straight back to her apartment. As soon as he parked it, Katherine hopped right out. She moved as fast as lightning up the steps, in front and unlocking her door at an even faster pace.

She opened the door and there was Pythor, staring at the TV with a solemn stare. He didn't look up at her, not even when Beck and Nikkei ran up behind her.

Katherine swallowed. "Hey..." she greeted, walking in. Beck closed the door behind them.

Pythor still never responded.

Katherine turned and saw he was watching the news. She swallowed again, looking back at Pythor. Before she could say anything, he stood up abruptly. The three were slightly startled by his fast movement. He picked up his empty tea cup from the coffee table and slithered over to the counter, gripping the cup tightly...

"Pythor," Katherine asked, "a-are you –"

"Don't even try to patronize me with such a stupid question!" he snapped venomously, taking his tea cup and throwing it against the closet wall. He glared at the three humans. Only Katherine was brave enough to meet it, as Beck and Nikkei braced nervously.

"No! I am not all right!" he hissed. "Why would I be all right when one of my people are on display in your museum?!"

Katherine walked up to him slowly, speaking in a calm voice. "Pythor, you need to calm down. They only believe it's an Anacondrai skeleton. Nothing has been confirmed yet."

"What difference does that make?" Pythor argued, his fuchsia eyes glowing with rage. "Anacondrai or not, that skeleton is still one of my people! And one of yours has it donated to a museum to be gawked at, when it should be in the ground – undisturbed!"

Katherine drew back at that. She had no argument against him, unable to choke up the courage to even attempt to argue with him. It felt...wrong to try to, in a way she couldn't very well explain.

Pythor moved past her, then, heading for her closet. He started rummaging through it, searching for something.

"What are you doing?" Beck questioned, dodging a coat Pythor had tossed to the side. It was clearly to small for him.

"Going to return the skeleton to where it belongs." Pythor rumbled, holding another coat up against him to see it it would fit. "I refuse to idly stand by and allow such disrespect shown to my people."

Beck blinked. "So you're just gonna stroll out in broad daylight and break into the museum? That's your plan?" he demanded.

"It's all I have!" he growled at him, tossing the coat to the floor. "I'm a tad limited here!"

It was true. Pythor was greatly limited. His invisibility powers were mediocre still. He was doing some practicing behind the scenes, but even holding it for just a minute would tire him out and aggravate his injuries. There was no way he could make it all the way to the museum. He would be caught in a heartbeat.

As much as he hated it, he would need a disguise.

"That's insane," argued Beck, becoming frustrated. "Even if you find a disguise, you're gonna stick out like a sore thumb. And we don't even know if the skeleton's there."

"Then I will speak to this Jack Davros and make him tell me where it is." Pythor growled, looking for a longer coat.

Beck snorted. "Of course, because that'll go so well. You know, there will be security around, and they'll be armed."

Nikkei lightly added, "Beck has a point. Last time you ran into men with guns, it didn't turn out well for you."

"None of you understand!" Pythor snapped, turning and glaring at the three humans. "You may be used to putting your kind on display, but that's not how we remember our past! We honor our dead by building statues of them and tell our young stories of their heroism! We let our dead be at rest!"

"We don't put our dead on display in a way that you think." Nikkei defended, stopping Beck from snapping at Pythor by putting a hand on his arm. "It's our way to remember the past, too. But we're still respectable to the bones we have."

"I find that hard to believe." Pythor snorted, turning away. He kept searching the closet to find a garment that would cover him.

Nikkei and Beck turned to Katherine, since she was so quiet throughout this minor debate. But they caught her just coming out of a room with a cloak in her arms. The sound of a door closing got Pythor's attention, and he turned to see the same thing. His eyes widened at her as well.

"Kat..." Beck said, staring at her in disbelief.

Katherine disregarded him as she walked up to Pythor and tossed him a cloak. "Here, this should work. That's from a costume I wanted to wear for a party, but the seller messed up my order and sent me an XXL by mistake. If that doesn't cover you, then I don't know what will."

Pythor put it on. Sure enough, it was a perfect fit. It was long enough to even cover his tail. He shrank his long neck enough to pull the hood over his head.

"We're not that far from the museum," Katherine said, crossing her arms in thought, "so I hope we can make it there without many stares."

Nikkei noticed what she just said. "'We'?"

She sighed and nodded. "Yeah...I'm going with him to make sure nothing goes wrong."

Nikkei, Beck and even Pythor blinked again at her.

"Kat!" Beck argued. "Are you serious?"

"There's no point in stopping him." Katherine said, looking at him. "We might as well just see if Jack actually found a Serpentine skeleton. If not, we'll drop the whole thing and leave."

"But if it is?" he asked.

Katherine paused a moment. Then she looked at Pythor. "I guess that's up to you..."

Pythor studied her. He could tell she didn't want to do this. But at the same time it was obvious she knew she didn't have a choice. It was just like that first night when she found him; she had the option to abandon Pythor but she couldn't act upon that instinct, leaving her with no other option but one...

But then Beck groaned, running a hand through his black hair as his frustration grew. "Damn it, Kat. Now I gotta go, too."

Katherine turned to Beck in surprise. "What? Beck, no you don't."

He put his hands in his pockets."Yes, I do. Because not only do I have a car, I don't trust this guy to keep himself calm if things turn south." He said, the last part obviously directed at Pythor.

Nikkei said then. "I'll go, too. That way if things do south between you and Pythor, I can help Katherine break you both up."

Pythor stared at the two humans before his eyes fell to Katherine. He saw her wear the same shocked expression, until a smile blossomed on her face. It was a smile he'd never seen her show before. She seemed...happy. If not quite touched by her friends' loyalty.

Then she looked at Pythor with that smile, shrugging. "Well, scratch that...all three of us are going with you."

Pythor glanced at them...but he sighed and nodded. "Fine with me."

He didn't see the point in arguing. Pythor knew when it came to a human's determination, there was no breaking it.

Beck drove them all to the museum. There was a convenient just across the street from it. On the way, they had stopped by a cheap costume shop and purchased a few things to add to Pythor's disguise – just to sell the deal that he wasn't Serpentine...but an old blind man.

Nikkei had bought a fake beard, brought along her grandfather's cane for him to support on and black sunglasses.

Pythor sat on the back seat as Katherine tied the fake bear around his head, while Nikkei and Beck took watch around the car to make sure no suspicious eyes wandered their way.

"Now, remember, you stay close with us no matter how tempting it is to wander away from us." Katherine told him, busy tying the strings of his fake beard in a tight knot so it would stay.

Pythor rumbled quietly in annoyance, rolling his eyes. "Yes, yes, I'm aware."

"Hey," she said firmly, pulling back to look at him, "I mean it. The last thing we need is you getting caught and starting a panic with armed security around."

"You forget that I am a snake." Pythor reminded her, giving a confident grin. "They'll never suspect there's a Serpentine under this disguise."

Katherine normally would have agreed, but given to how personal this mission was to him, she was a bit skeptic in his confidence.

"Let's hope. The last thing we need is unwanted attention."

"Must you worry so much?" asked Pythor. "I'm sure people will be so eager to meet the famous Jack Davros that they will hardly take any notice of us."

She sighed, moving back a lock of her hair behind her ear. "Look, just promise me that whatever happens, you'll keep your cool and not make a scene."

Pythor snorted. "I just said that I – "

"Please?" Katherine insisted, meeting his eyes.

He studied the worried expression, even tasting her apprehension in her scent. It made the proud Anacondrai pause a moment, and he remembered that Katherine was just as deep as he was in all this. Neither of them could afford to be caught tonight. Not even Beck and Nikkei.

Finally, Pythor rumbled a sigh and nodded. "Yes, you have my word."

"Thank you." Katherine replied, picking up the sunglasses. "Now, don't overthink this. You're a blind, mute old man who likes taking frequent trips to the museum. Just keep your head low and never look someone in the face. Got it?"

"I think I can mange." He confirmed.

"Good." Katherine placed the sunglasses on his face and he picked up his cane from the floor of the car.

Beck looked over at them. "Are we ready?"

Katherine nodded. "Ready as we'll ever be."

Pythor stood up, hunching himself over like he had a bent in his back, keeping his head low as he hunched over the cane. The three could barely see his face under the beard and sunglasses. It took some of the anxiety off.

Just to sell the old man disguise, Katherine had Pythor wrap his arm around hers, pretending to guide him along while he tapped his cane against the ground as they walked across the street.

Beck was beside her. "I dare say we may just pull this off..." he mumbled quietly to the group.

"Whatever we pull off tonight," Nikkei mumbled back, looking around in hopes they weren't catching stares.

"Everyone just be cool." Katherine advised. "As long as we don't do or say anything to draw unwanted attention, we'll be fine."

They got in line. Pythor did well keeping up the act. Not a single person found him off-putting when they looked at him. He inwardly sighed in relief. That was one worry out of the way...

Each person paid to enter the museum up front, getting a stamp on the back of their hand to prove they were permitted to be here. Beck and Nikkei paid separately, getting their stamps. Katherine had to pay for herself and her "grandfather", but seniors got a discount.

She was worried about the stamp, but the stamper assured her that it was obvious they were a joint pair and didn't need to stamp Pythor's hand. Katherine thanked her lucky star for dodging a pretty nasty bullet.

The four entered the museum. They weren't surprised to find it filled with people, half of which were Davros fans, and another half that were famous explorers themselves who were just as interested in meeting the man of the hour. Beck counted all the security guards in the room. Five. All together.

He swallowed, feeling a large wave of nervousness fall over him as he looked around for the man of the hour. But he was nowhere to be found.

"Davros must not be here yet." Nikkei whispered.

Beck snorted with contempt. "Leave it to that jerk to be late for something in his honor..."

Katherine and Nikkei caught Beck's tone, almost sounding a little offended. But he wasn't in the mood to address it.

"Okay, here's the plan," he whispered, gathering the group together, "we're not staying here long, so if we find the skeleton we'll think of part two of this plan. But if not, then we get the hell out and never look back, got it?"

Pythor pushed his sunglasses down just a little so he could shoot Beck a leer. "And you're in charge now because...?"

Beck shot a leer right back. "Because I'm the one with the car. Without me, you're screwed. So find the skeleton while I..." he groaned, hating to say, "while I pretend to be one of Jack's stupid fans..."

Nikkei and Katherine nodded. Both girls confirmed they would text each other if they found anything. Beck joined the group of fans that would be the first to meet Jack when he showed up, which he was hoping would never happen.

But his worst fear came true just when the dread was hanging high above his head. Jack stepped through the doors in the fanciest tux his money could by, freshly shaved and well prepared for the evening. He waved and grinned at his fans, even greeting the interviewers who flashed their cameras at him, walking to the bar area set up at the left side of the room.

"Hello, everyone. I hope you all have a great time."

Pythor and Katherine looked over at him. The Anacondrai couldn't contain a growl when Jack flashed a wink with a cocky grin at one of his female fans that was wearing a shirt with his face on it. Then he felt Katherine's grip tighten lightly around his hand.

"Shh, old man, remember?" she reminded calmly. "Old men don't growl."

"How can that smug, slave to fame walk around with a smile on his face after carelessly disturbing someone's grave like he did?"

Katherine gave Pythor a sympathetic expression. "Some people just don't care about things like you do. I guess in Jack's mind, he made a possibly rare discovery that'll make him more famous than he already is."

Pythor sneered in disgust, lowly rumbling, "And you people wonder why my kind despise you all so much..."

Katherine had nothing to say to that. She only pulled Pythor along.

Nikkei took one side of the museum while Katherine and Pythor took the other. He held her arm as she walked around, tapping his cane against the floor, fuming with anger in silence. He needed to find the skeleton while Beck bought them all time.

Jack had a martini in one hand as he stood by his table with his merchandise, shaking his fans with his other hand. All he needed was one hand to sign autographs and take pictures with, never putting his drink down to even pose for a picture. But Jack got tired after ten minutes, whispering something to his security.

They nodded and backed off his fans, telling them he needed to double check the merchandise to make sure there would be enough for everyone.

But Beck watched Davros grab another martini from the bar and walk off to another part of the museum, somewhere quiet so he wouldn't be disturbed...or so he would assume.

Beck didn't think twice about following him, quickly sending Nikkei and Kat a text to let them know his plan. He was hoping to buy them at least twenty minutes...

Jack wandered off to the animal exhibit, which displayed fake and stuffed animals that roamed Ninjago. There was no one in sight, which was a relief to him. He sighed and took a sip of his drink.

"Since when are you a martini guy?"

Jack spun around, surprised to see Beck approaching him with his hands stuffed in his pockets, his default position when he was uncomfortable or upset. He blinked at him, studying him up and down as he walked up to him.

"No way," Davros chuckled, giving a small smile, "Beck? Is that you, man?"

Beck nodded lightly at him, not returning the smile. "Yeah, been a while...Eugene."

Jack quickly shushed him, pretending to put it off as a "joking" manner with a fake smile and chuckle. But Beck noticed he was looking around the room to make sure no one heard him. "H-Hey, c'mon, Becky. I got a reputation to maintain, man. Don't need people knowing my real name."

He shrugged. "Sorry, I just can't get over the name you've made for yourself, I guess..."

Jack nodded in agreement, yet his proud smirk was bold. "Yeah, took a while for me to get used to, too. And I'm the one who came up with it. But 'Jack Davros' has a nicer ring to it than 'Eugene Burkins' ever did, if you ask me."

"And people really believe that's your name?"

"They believe what I want them to believe." Jack said, taking a sip of his martini again. "That's the beauty of fame."

Beck nodded, remembering he'd said those same exact words years ago, back when he still went by Eugene...

"Guess it's nice living a total lie."

Jack chuckled at him, impervious to his little jabs by now. "Good old, Becky. Still as pissy as ever. You'd think being a construction worker would've loosened you up."

"Honestly, Eugene, do you really travel all around like everybody says you do, or are you just lucky enough to have a crew of cameramen who think to bring a car wherever they go?"

Jack leaning against a wall. "Don't overthink it, Becky. Making a TV show isn't rocket science."

"And to find the time to sit down write your own survival manual..."

"Man, you really know how to kill a man's buzz." Jack remarked, chugging down the rest of his drink. He then set his glass down on the floor beside him so he could pull out a cigarette from a secret pocket hidden under his tux. He offered one to Beck, but he turned it down.

Being a construction worker helped him with his tobacco addiction. After a year, Beck had little to no need for it anymore. But he was quite surprised that even living in the lap of fame wasn't enough to sway Eugene from his smoking habit.

"I'll take it you're not here to congratulate me for all my success." Jack pointed out, as he lit his cigarette. He then took in a puff and blew the smoke to the side, looking at Beck and waiting for his response.

"I'm a little more curious about those Serpentine bones you dug up." He said, putting his hands back in his pockets. His hand fell over his phone...

"What?" Jack asked. "Think I faked it?"

He shrugged lightly. "Not necessarily. But it was kind of you to donate your possibly rare discovery to the museum."

"What can I say? I'm a nice guy. It's what I do."

Beck could tell Eugene had developed a nasty habit of ego-stroking throughout the years. Yet another ugly thing from his rise to fame.

"Plus," Jack added, "those snakes creep me out. I was happy to be rid of it. This museum had more use for it than I did. Apparently, they're in the process of adding an entire section here solely devoted to Serpentine history and what-not. They're taking anything that has to do with them."

"Is it even in the museum?" he asked Jack.

Jack took another puff from his cigarette. "Yeah, they have it in storage."

"And they're sure it's Anacondrai?"

"Positive."

"...Mind if I see it?" Beck asked, then, casually.

That prompted quite a surprised look from his once old friend. "Seriously? You expect me to just waltz you down to storage with you and show you the skeleton?"

Beck gave an earnest shrug. "I'm not expecting it, no. But if you want to prove to me it's not fake, then why not? It'll be like when we were little kids and playing explorers."

Jack raised a brow at him.

"...And I'll buy your merch if you prove it's real."

That earned a grin from Jack. He put out his cigarette with the bottom of his shoe and threw it in the trash, followed by pulling out his phone. "One minute." He told him, before calling somebody.

The second he turned, Beck pulled out his phone and group-texted Katherine and Nikkei. He quickly typed:

_'Got Jack to take me to where the skeleton is.'_

Nikkei's reply was the first to pop up.

_'Seriously?'_

Then came Kat's message not a second later.

_'How the HELL did u manage that?'_

Beck quickly replied:

_'He's an ego maniac. We're in the animal exhibit. Follow behind.'_

Beck put his phone away the moment Jack hung up with his call and turned around. "All right, I told my agent what's going on and he gave us one hour...oh, and I have some of my merch picked out for you, if that's all right?"

He flashed him a smug grin just to anger him.

Beck flashed one right back. "Wonderful."

The two started on their way, and Nikkei, Katherine and Pythor kept a distance behind. Jack found the first **STAFF ONLY** door nearby, pulling out a key card from his pocket. He put it up against the scanner and the sound of a buzz followed.

Beck entered right behind him. A door stop laid right next to the entrance, giving him an idea. He quickly hooked his jacket pocket around the knob, pretending it was caught.

"Ugh, crap!" he faked, acting to "free" himself so he could push the door stop in the way.

Jack rolled his eyes. "That's what happens when you wear baggy clothes, Becky..."

"Shut up." He grunted, finally getting his pocket unstuck.

The door closed, but not all the way thanks to the stop. Katherine, Pythor and Nikkei quietly went inside. Their eyes widened at how big the storage unit was, filled with aisles that needed to be turned with a wheel to move. They saw Beck and Jack from a distance and followed behind.

As they kept their distance, Nikkei asked in a very quiet whisper, "Does anyone else think it's weird Beck is not only alone with Jack Davros, but that he's willingly showing him to his major discovery?"

Katherine shrugged as the group stopped so they wouldn't get too close. "Who knows? Beck has a way of getting at people. Maybe he antagonized him enough to prove that the skeleton's real."

"I believe that." Pythor said.

Even he had to admit, Beck using his powers of aggravation was quite an effective tool at the moment. He hoped it would last...

Past the storage chambers was an area filled with crates and boxes. Jack checked the labels, until he came to one that was very large in height and length.

"This is it." Jack said, grabbing a nearby crowbar. He jammed it under the lid and started prying it open.

The other three hid behind the storage cabinets while the Beck and Jack were preoccupied. Pythor removed the glasses and beard, raising his long neck so he would get a good view of the skeleton. His head came just over the top of the cabinet.

Jack gave one final pry and the lid popped off. After tossing the crowbar, he slid it off.

And there it was, preserved in shredded paper. Beck's eyes widened at how...real the skeleton was. From the fanged skull, the clawed hands and incredibly long spine. There was no doubt it was Serpentine...and no doubt it was real. The detailed ingrain of the bones made his stomach churn, almost making him sick. He swallowed, taking a step back unconsciously, as if he was afraid the corpse was going to spring back and attack him.

Even Pythor's eyes widened. He recognized the long tail and jawline.

Anacondrai. There wasn't an inkling doubt in his mind.

Jack turned to Beck, noticing his trepidation. He got up, wiping his hands as he looked back at the skeleton.

"How's that for fake?"

Beck gave him a brief look before his gaze drew back to the skeleton like a magnet. "Yeah, that's...yeah." He numbly nodded. When it came to death, Beck wasn't a fan. Anything from a funeral to the skeleton laying before him now would make him tremble.

He had to look away.

...But Pythor couldn't. A feeling from long ago began sinking in, a feeling of dread and apprehension. It kept whispering to him for some reason...and a name popped into his head. He couldn't explain it. And he had a feeling this was going to be too colossal to ignore.

"You said you found this in the Sea of Sands?" Beck asked, starting to feel a little sick.

"Yup. In an unmarked grave all alone. It was preserved in something that looked like a casket. But it was too rare of a discovery to pass up."

All eyes went to Jack when he said this. Nikkei, Katherine and Beck's gazes were filled with shock – but Pythor's was a glare of absolute hatred. It was an unmarked grave! This bastard disturbed someone's final resting place!

And all for the sake of fame!

His claws dug into the metal as his hand slowly clenched into a fist, leaving marks in the process. A growl rumbled in his throat. Katherine noticed, looking up at Pythor in concern.

Beck stared at Jack, totally caught off guard. "And...you just thought that that was okay?"

"There was some debate about it for a while, but we eventually came to the conclusion that there's need to be more known about the Serpentine." Jack explained. "If they pull another stunt like last time, we can be more prepared than before. That attack wasn't on the city, but on us as humans."

Pythor's growling deepened. It startled Katherine. So much so that she went to reach out to him, but he hesitated. "Easy with the growling." She tried to sooth.

But he shook his head. "The first chance I get I'm taking that corpse out of here."

"Pythor -"

"I am!" he harshly snapped, flashing that glare at both Katherine and Nikkei. They were surprised he stayed as quiet as he was. Had he been some over emotional half-wit, their cover would have been blown.

Then Jack's phone went off. He checked it and sighed. "We need to get back. The crowd is getting antsy out there."

He placed the lid back on the crate.

Beck looked back at the group while his back was turned and nodded them out the door. Nikkei and Katherine ducked back down but Pythor eyed the crate, as if waiting.

"We have to go," Nikkei whispered at him.

"Then you both leave." He refused. "I'm staying."

"There's nothing you can do in your condition." Katherine told him. "You'll have no way out of here. You'll be a sitting duck."

"I'll figure my way out." Pythor argued.

"Yeah, unless the person who finds you hauling out a skeleton is armed! What then?"

Pythor wanted to argue again, but the sound of Beck and Jack walking away got their attention. He judged the distance and took a chance, ducking from his cover and slithering for the skeleton.

"Pythor!" Katherine hissed. "Pythor!"

But he wasn't coming back.

"Crap!" she cursed, fighting the urge to slam her fist into something. She turned to Nikkei. "Go with Beck and keep the door stop there. I'm gonna try and talk him out of here."

Katherine had been determined from the start to take the heat if she was ever caught, but she would sooner rot in prison the rest of her life than drag either Nikkei or Beck with her.

Nikkei was hesitant, but she could tell Katherine knew what she was doing. She left, unable to keep from looking back before she opened the door and made sure the stop was in place.

Pythor threw the lid off the crate, gazing at the skeleton with utter sympathy. The name kept repeating over, over, and over in his head. He looked around, trying to find another exit.

Katherine ran over, then, taking his arm. "Pythor, please, I know you're upset but there's nothing – "

"_Don't!"_ he hissed at her, pulling his arm away and standing in the same second. "Don't say there is nothing I can do! There is! There is – I know there is!"

"Keep your voice down!" Katherine hissed back. "We need to leave before somebody –"

The sound of footsteps got their attention again, footsteps that were coming their way. Without thinking of Katherine, Pythor acted. He concentrated as hard as possible and turned invisible, disappearing right before Katherine.

Her jaw dropped in total shock, but before her brain could register what had happened, someone shouted:

"You, young lady!"

Katherine turned to two security officers approaching her. Their suites intimidated her, freezing her to the spot.

"What are you doing back here?" one of the officers demanded. "Do you have authorization to be here?"

"N-No, I-I –"

The two officers closed in on both sides of her, like two tigers surrounding a baby gazelle.

Pythor silently backed away, doing everything to maintain his invisibility. He just needed to hold it for at least three more minutes, then he could think without having Katherine nagging at him.

"You better tell us why you're here, young lady, or you can be in serious trouble." One warned her.

Katherine swallowed. "I-I was just looking for my-my, uh, grandfather..." It was the only excuse she could think of.

Of course, neither one of them bought it. One grabbed her by her arm and started dragging her along with him.

"You're coming with us." He said, but Katherine couldn't help but struggle.

"H-Hey, please, officers! I-I'm not lying, please!" she tried to beg.

But they wouldn't listen, trying to pull her along with them by force. But as strong as Katherine could be, she was no match for a well built officer. He pulled her with them no problem.

Pythor watched as they started taking her away, no matter how much she pleaded and struggled. He finally reappeared, crouching in front of the crate. Ignoring the pain, Pythor looked around for another exit, one that he could sneak through with the skeleton and return it to the grave she – _it_ – was robbed from.

Without meaning to, Pythor met Katherine's pleading eyes. Normally he would have looked away easily...but he found himself unable to this time. There was something stopping him from moving, stopping him from thinking about the one thing he cared about for these past two hours...now all he could think about was Katherine's well being.

He started wondering what would happen when the officers pulled her through that door. Where would they take her? To a small cell below the museum? Or would they throw her out of the museum? Would it be that simple? What if those security officers phoned in their higher authorities? What then?

All these questions, with no way of knowing the answers...and he hated it.

In the blink of an eye, Pythor was back under his disguise. Loudly, he called out in his best elderly impression:

"O-Oh, e-excuse me? Is someone there?"

The officers stopped and turned, blinking in question at the "old man".

"Katherine?" Pythor called, tapping his cane on the ground to sell the act. "Are you there?"

Katherine glanced at the officers before pulling her arm away from the one who had her. "I'm here, granddad." She replied, walking over to Pythor and taking his arm.

"Is the tour over?" he asked her.

"Afraid so, granddad." Katherine said. "I don't know how you got away from me. You're sure fast on those old legs of yours."

She turned to the officers. "We were on a short tour group, but granddad here accidentally slipped away from me."

They both kindly nodded. "Sorry for the misunderstanding, ma'am." They apologized. "You and your grandfather have a nice day."

Katherine nodded at them, before she escorted Pythor out of the storage area.

When they were out of sight, she looked over at him...but Pythor had nothing to say. He didn't want to meet her eyes again.

They made their way back to the lobby, where Nikkei and Beck were waiting. Katherine blinked when she saw him covered head to toe in Jack Davros merchandise, even holding a mug with Jack's face on it.

"Don't ask, please." He said, obviously quite bitter over something. "Can we leave now?"

Katherine nodded. "We're done here..."

* * *

Beck drove Katherine and Pythor back to her place. It was late at night when they arrived, ten o'clock no less. There was no person in sight.

She hopped out of Beck's car, with Pythor right behind her. He slammed the door as hard as he could, rocking the vehicle a bit with his Serpentine strength.

Beck would have snapped at him, but he didn't have the heart to.

Pythor started slithering off somewhere, ripping off the beard and whipping it somewhere to the side, same with the sunglasses, which shattered upon impact of the wall he whipped them at.

Katherine watched him and sighed. "Thanks for everything, Beck. I'll see ya later."

He nodded. "Goodnight, Kat...and good luck with him."

She was gonna need it.

Katherine hurried after Pythor, going down the same ally she had found him those couple weeks ago. "Pythor – "

"Stop following me." He told her, as he started looking for a way underground. But Katherine didn't. He heard every footstep.

It wasn't until he stopped that Katherine finally did, but he still never looked at her.

"Do you ever listen to someone when they ask something of you?" he growled, becoming frustrated.

Katherine crossed her arms. "Only when I like somebody – which we've both established is not a mutual feeling between us. Now, let's go inside, please? It's been a long day."

Pythor bitterly chuckled at that. "You say that like you're the one who saw one of his own in a museum..."

Katherine sighed at that and frowned. Despite everything, Pythor was the one suffering. Being sarcastic wouldn't make him feel better. "I'm...I'm sorry you had to see that. I doubt it was easy..."

"Are you really sorry?" Pythor demanded at her, then, taking Katherine aback. "Are you? If you were actually sorry, you would have left me back there and let me do what needed to be done!"

Katherine became defensive. "Hey, do not pin what happened on me!" she retorted. "You were being an idiot! I'm sorry that I was worried about you getting caught!"

"Why worry?" he snapped. "I didn't ask you to worry about me! And thanks to you, one of my own people is stuffed in storage and waiting to be put on display!"

"There was nothing you could do!"

"YES THERE WAS!" Pythor roared, turning to her with a glare of rage. Katherine drew back from him. "THERE WAS SOMETHING I COULD HAVE DONE!"

She froze when she heard the crack in his voice. It caught her off guard, and she took the chance to study him. His eyes were heavy with emotion, one of them was anger, another regret...and then there was guilt.

Katherine fell silent.

"Do you have any idea how many of us there are anymore?" Pythor snapped, trying to fight back the emotions trying to surface. "We're becoming extinct! And at this rate it will be soon! Do you know how that feels?"

Katherine only shook her head.

"Exactly!" he spat cruelly. "Look at me and tell me you're sorry now!"

Katherine met his glare. She swallowed and said without a hint of sarcasm or mockery: "I'm sorry."

It was a genuine apology.

But Pythor snorted. "Are you? Are you truly sorry...because so am I!" he shouted. "I had the chance to help but I failed! I screwed everything up and I can never have that opportunity again!"

Katherine reached out to him, but Pythor pushed her hand away in refusal. It was so unexpected. She never did those things. Her actions puzzled him for a moment until he felt something fall from the side of his cheek. He wiped his face, stunned to find he was wiping away a stream of tears.

Pythor sniffed, but he couldn't stop them. It only made his turmoil worse that he was crying – showing weakness – in front of a human. He turned away, wiping his face again.

"I was supposed to protect them and I failed." He sobbed. "I let them down..."

Katherine reached out to him again. "Pythor –"

Once again he pushed her hand away. More hot tears fell from his face.

"I am supposed to think of another way when things go wrong and I couldn't..." All his pent up anger and self-hatred that slowly built up became too much. Pythor reeled his fist back and slammed it into the brick wall beside him, letting out a roar. Then he slammed his fist again, and again, and again, and again – until Katherine finally stopped him.

She threw herself at him from behind, wrapping her arms around him from behind. She held him tightly, trying – hoping – she could get him to stop.

"Stop," she softly whispered at him, "just stop, please. Just stop, stop..."

Pythor didn't even try to push her off this time. He gave into his weakness and sobbed miserably, like a helpless child. Clenching his now bleeding fist, he cried against the wall. Katherine never once let him go.

"...You did everything you could." She told him, her voice gentle. "What happened in the museum was no one's fault. And I'm sure whoever that Serpentine was once appreciates the effort you put into today."

That made more tears fall down Pythor's face.

"Stop beating yourself up for things that can't change, okay? Bad things happen, and sometimes they're out of our control. But we just gotta make the best out of them...that's all we can do."

Pythor only sobbed...and then a thought, one that Pythor never would have believed he'd ever have, voiced itself in his head for just a heartbeat.

Where were you before this whole mess happened?

He wasn't sure where that thought came from or why it happened...but Pythor was tired. That must have been why. He was emotionally and mentally exhausted. Those two things could make anyone have strange thoughts.


	15. Chapter Fourteen

**Disclaimer****: I do not own any of the original "Ninjago: Masters of Spintizu" characters, nor do I own the original settings. I only own Katherine, Beck, Nikkei, Doctor Alan McKullan, Hydro, Chandai, Khozah and Jack Davros****.**

**Author's Note**: A big thank you to LoverofScales for helping me with this chapter ^_^ as well as a thank you to everyone who has read and kept this story alive with all the wonderful support I have gotten. I can't thank everyone enough.

* * *

**FOURTEEN — "This is the Part Where You Say 'Thank You'"**

_Pythor paced around in a nervous circles under the watchful eyes of the past Generals. He was beginning to grow into a young man, becoming stronger and smarter with each passing day. But he was still not quite old enough to be a man yet. He supposed – in human years – he would be sixteen. _

_Every day, Pythor looked more like his father, at times he even spoke like him. Like Hydras and Hydro, Pythor spoke elegantly with just an iceberg's tip of an accent hanging on the end of each word they spoke. Now that he was at that age where females were becoming interesting, his suave voice and intellectual use of phrasing grabbed their attention almost instantly._

_Even the adults were impressed with how smart the young man was becoming. Pythor seemed more mature than most young men his age, but this didn't come as a shock to anyone. Naturally, he had to be this way. The responsibilities of a General could only be carried by someone more than willing to uphold them with as much strength as possible._

_But as of late...Pythor's excitement about leading was slowly turning into a death sentence just waiting for him on the horizon of his adulthood. The changes made this past year were weighing on him, and on the Tribe._

_Especially on his father and uncle. _

_He waited for them and the other warrior's return..._

_They had been gone for an uncomfortably long time. Far too for Pythor. _

_'This is the longest they've been gone...' He thought to himself. 'This wait is killing me.'_

_No matter what he did to distract himself, he couldn't get his mind off of his worries. Pythor looked up at the statue of his grandfather. After staring at it for a few moments, he sighed. He started wondering if even his grandfather – if even the Generals before him – doubted themselves too...?_

_If so, was it natural? Or a sign of weakness? _

_Then the sound of a horn blaring interrupted his thoughts. Pythor turned to the window, where the sound was coming from. His eyes widened, knowing full well what that meant. The horn was a sign that there was an army on the horizon._

_He slithered out of the hall as fast as possible, heading outside. Others from the Tribe were outside as well, anxious about the same thing. Pythor was surrounded by young hatchlings, their mothers and the elderly. All those who had to stay behind._

_The horn kept sounding from above. As the army grew closer, close enough to identify that it was their army returning home, there was a blissful moment of relief...until a new heaviness settled in. It was as if Pythor could hear their minds – and he could hear the same question over and over again:_

_Who made it home?_

_The warriors' faces as they neared their home was...indescribable. Pythor felt a weight sinking on his chest. Of course there were never, proud, grinning faces, but this was much worse. He also noticed that there were less of them than when they had departed eighteen hours ago..._

_Pythor bolted from his spot, as well as many of the mothers and children, and they headed to their warriors. He looked up at them one by one, trying to find his father among them. His heart was racing fast, the fear clawing its way down into his core. His breathing started to become heavy, his heart moving into his throat. _

_Just when he was about to call out to him, Pythor heard from behind him:_

"_Son?"_

_He spun around, looking into the face of his bruised and battered father. Pythor slithered right into his arms and held him tightly. _

_Hydras returned the embrace, holding his son just as tightly. _

"_I'm sorry I kept you waiting, son," he apologized, his breathing heavy. "You must have been so worried..."_

_Pythor looked up at his father, doing everything he could not to shed any tears. He looked around, searching for his uncle. When he didn't see him, he looked worriedly up at his father. _

"_F-Father, is Uncle Hydro..." He stopped when he saw Hydro slither past them with his head low. He was carrying a suit of armor, a sword and a shield._

_Hydro went right pass them, without saying a word. Pythor glanced at his father, who simply stared at him with a deep frown. He looked back and watched his uncle approach a young female who was also searching for someone in the army._

_She looked to be around the same age as Pythor._

_She turned to Hydro in slight apprehension and confusion...and then her face changed when she saw the suit of armor and weapons he was carrying. Pythor studied her expression. She shook her head as tears started glistening in her eyes. The young girl looked up at Hydro pleadingly._

_It took him a few moments to speak, and what he said to her? Pythor couldn't hear. But the tears threatening to spill in her eyes finally fell. _

"_...That child's an orphan now." Hydras said to Pythor in a solemn voice. He looked up at his father. "She lost her mother to a sudden illness when she was a hatchling...just as old as you were when your mother passed..."_

_Pythor frowned at that, turning back to the girl._

"_Her father wanted to aid us in the battle against the humans," Hydras continued, "but Hydro battled against one of the Elemental Master. The Master of Fire. He managed to get the upper hand on your uncle...but before he could strike the final blow, her father intervened and protected him. He saved his life."_

"_What's her name?" Pythor asked. _

"_Her name is Marna." His father answered._

* * *

Pythor woke up from his nap then. He stared up at the ceiling, reeling from his dream. He was quite surprised how deeply he slept after last night. But, then again, yesterday was a very exhausting day... So exhausting that he crashed in Katherine's living room and fell right to sleep on her couch.

Pythor checked the time. It was exactly noon. Ugh, he hated sleeping in like that. After a few stretches, Pythor got up groggily. He got his usual cup of tea (making sure it was tea he was about to drink this time). He found another note from Katherine saying she had to work and she would return in a few hours.

Throwing the note away, Pythor sat at the couch and turned on the TV. After yesterday he was surprised he had any desire to be a couch potato, but he had little to no energy for the day. He wanted to wallow in his self pity alone and in silence. There were so many things his mind kept trying to wrap around. Pythor still couldn't believe almost everything that happened...but most of all it was last night. He had allowed Katherine to console him, to touch him, to hold him in her arms.

...And somewhere deep inside him, Pythor felt an odd sense of relief. It was...comforting to have her there beside him last night, yet so unexpected and new. He never allowed anyone – not even the other Serpentine – to act so friendly towards him. He despised relying on others, whether it was in battle or for comfort.

It was a sign of weakness and helplessness. A true Anacondrai needed never relied on others. They only needed a sense of strong will and determination, even in the most difficult of times.

Yet despite all this, he still allowed Katherine to comfort him...

Pythor started thinking back...when was the last time someone had wrapped their arms around him like that? It was so long ago. He'd almost forgotten what it felt like to be held in someone's arms.

It also struck him that he had never seen such a compassionate side of Katherine before. He was so used to the wench who referred to him as 'idiot' or 'ass'. Pythor never considered her to be so...caring – especially towards him of all people. But the way she held him, the way she spoke so gently to him, and the things she said to console him last night...

"_Bad things happen, and sometimes they're out of our control. But we just gotta make the best out of them...that's all we can do." _

There was something about her now. All the anger and distaste he'd held for her was starting to fade away...

Pythor sighed, putting this all in the back of his mind.

He just wanted to forget about yesterday. Of the Davros, of the skeleton – _of her_ – and of Katherine comforting him. Pythor couldn't believe it, but he was wishing things would go back to before. At least he wouldn't be as miserable as he was now...

* * *

"_This is your great-great-great grandfather General Luscious Chumsworth." Hydras said. "He lived to be almost five hundred."_

_Young Pythor's eyes were wide at that. He stared up at the giant statue. "Wow! I didn't know a General could live that long!"_

_Hydras chuckled at his son's enthusiasm. "You'd be surprised, my boy."_

_This was the first time he was showing his son all the Generals that had come and gone. Now that Pythor was old enough to understand what it meant to be a General, Hydras was eager to explain every detail of their family's history. Almost two hours had passed as he told his son of all the great Generals of their bloodline. _

"_Now this is your great-great grandmother General Velara Chumsworth – the first female General in Chumsworth history." Hydras smiled. "Like her father before her, she lived a long life and ruled the Tribe with a kind, yet strong heart. She was about your age when the Tribe erected the statue of her father."_

_Pythor looked at him. "Father?"_

"_Yes, son?"_

"_Will the Tribe make a statue in your honor?"_

_Hydras nodded. "Indeed they will; as is tradition. It's important for every Tribe to remember their ancestors, son. Whether they're statues, paintings, tombs – anything. All the Generals who have and will be honored here will be our guides to look upon in our darkest days."_

_Pythor paused at that, turning back to the statues._

_Then his father smiled. "Someday, even your statue will be in this room, son. As will your child, and their children. And so on."_

_That brought a smile to the young boy's face. He and his father met gazes. Then he nodded to the next General._

"_Here, we have your great grandfather: General Hydro Chumsworth."_

_Pythor blinked at that. "Hydro?"_

"_Yes, the Anacondrai your uncle is named after." His father answered. "Like him, he was a great warrior of his time...and your grandfather loved him dearly. So much so that he named his first son after him...back when they thought they were only going to have one son, anyway." He lightheartedly chuckled at that last part._

_Pythor chuckled as well._

"_Now, here we have your grandfather: General Gehrman Chumsworth." Hydras proudly smiled at the statue of his father. "I was as old as you when he took me and your uncle through this hall for the first time..."_

_As his father paused to reminisce, Pythor curiously asked:_

"_Father, how did Grandfather know to choose you to succeed him as General before he passed?"_

"_...He didn't." Hydras answered. "Not for a good long time."_

_He turned and met his son's eyes._

"_Your grandfather was afraid of choosing between us. He feared it would cause animosity between Hydro and I, so he put it off for as long as possible...it wasn't until he was on his death-bed that he finally made his decision."_

"_But how did he know to choose you?"_

"_...Because your uncle had vouched for me." _

_Pythor's jaw dropped at that. "He...wanted you to be General?"_

"_Not only wanted, your uncle believed I would be a great General..." Hydras elaborated. "Apparently, he had been vouching for me for a long time...so, in return, I made your uncle my second in command, because I trusted no one else by my side more than him."_

_Pythor, still quite surprised, looked to the side. His father and uncle disagreed on so many things that he never really understood why he'd made him his second in command...but to think that his uncle had wanted his father to be General instead of him..._

_Hydras smiled. "I know your uncle Hydro comes off as cold most of the time," he admitted, "and we disagree on quite a lot of things, but he only adds his opinion because he wants me to know there is always another way in every decision to be made. That nothing needs to be by-the-book, or in black and white. I know he truly cares, deep down...just like I know he loves you very much."_

_Pythor looked up at that, seeing his father's smile was still there._

"_Why do you think he wants you to grow up to be so strong?" he said. "Hydro wants to make sure you can protect yourself when he and I are gone."_

_That made Pythor frown. He looked down. The last thing he ever wanted to be reminded of was death, especially right now of all times. The previous battle with the people of Ninjago seemed more than just a few days ago..._

_Hydras, sensing his son's distress, slithered over and put his hands on his shoulders, getting Pythor to look up at him._

"_Son...I'm going to tell you the same thing my father told me just before he passed, and I hope you always remember them, as I have...'To be a General not only means that you have power. It also means that you are responsible for the Tribe. You will be the one they turn to when things go wrong, and you will be the one they blame when bad things happen. A General is both the hero and the villain to their Tribe. But they do not choose the kind of General you will be...only you can make that decision.'"_

_Hydras knelt down, lowering himself to his son's level so their gazes would be even. _

"_I tell you this because there is no way I can protect you from growing up in a dark time as right now." He told Pythor, the regret all over his expression. "And if something happens out there...I may not be here anymore. When you are General, my son, I want you to do everything that is within your power to do. I want you to consider every possibility before you say there is nothing you can do."_

_Pythor was nervous. "But-But what if I can't lead, Father? What if I can't be like you?"_

"_I'm not telling you to be a General like me." Hydras said. "I'm telling you to be the kind of General you want to be. All of your ancestors are remembered so vastly because they ruled the Tribe differently than their General before them. A Tribe doesn't need the same General twice, son. Nothing can be gained from that."_

_Hydras cupped his son's cheek. "I want you to remember this. Always. Pythor, promise me you'll be a great General?"_

_Pythor met his father's gaze once more._

"_...I promise, Father."_

_His father smiled proudly at that, and then he hugged Pythor tightly. He could tell by the strength of his hug that he'd just lifted a great weight off of his shoulders...all Pythor could do was hope that he would live up to this promise._

* * *

Pythor woke with a start from a loud commercial on TV. His wounds – still quite tender – screamed from his sudden movement and he cringed, cradling his injured side. His tail had banged against the coffee table when he jumped, knocking over his now old cup of tea. Lucky for him there wasn't much that spilled over the wood.

When the pain died down enough that he could move, the wincing Anacondrai got up to clean it up. He used some paper towels to wipe up the tea, and then brought the cup to the sink.

He sighed, rubbing his heavy eyes as he leaned against the counter. "I need to quit dreaming about the past," Pythor mumbled aloud, a bit exhausted. "One more and I might just give up on sleep altogether..."

Pythor shook his head lightly as he made himself a glass of water. As he swallowed it down, he heard footsteps. He would have hid if Katherine hadn't shouted a blatant "OW!" from the other side of the door just before she unlocked it.

As she enters and slams the door behind her, Pythor glanced at the time. She was home almost two hours early. Looking back, he then noticed the way she was cradling her right hand. She was babying it.

"You're home early..." he said lightly, watching her.

Katherine snorted, tossing her things on the couch. "Yeah, not my choice. But my boss didn't give me one."

She entered the kitchen, minding her right hand as she started searching her cupboards. It was wrapped tightly, with something bulky under the bandages.

"Where did I put those damn pain killers...?" Katherine grumbled to herself, looking through another cupboard.

Pythor turned, finding them pushed against the wall the counter was connected to. He grabbed the bottle and shook it, getting Katherine's attention. She sighed and popped one in her mouth, opening her fridge for a drink to chug the pill down with.

"What did you do to you hand?" he finally asked, after she drank down the pill with a bottled water.

Katherine groaned in annoyance. "I burnt it while making a damn latte at work." She tossed the water bottle back in the fridge, almost closing it with her bad hand. She caught herself at the last second and kicked it shut with her foot lightly.

She sat at the counter beside Pythor and started to gently undo the bandaging. As she did, Katherine explained what happened.

"So a customer orders one of our lattes. But, of course, we have to make them fresh because nobody likes a latte made with old coffee. And we don't have one of those fancy latte machines to do the job for us. Oh, no, we have to make the damn things by hand. So I have a fresh pot being made as I gather the things I need to make the customer his latte. When I grab the handle of said coffee pot, it just breaks off – " she snapped her fingers, for emphasis, " – just like that. So me, being the idiot I am, I instinctively grab the hot pot. It spills all over my hand and there's just a mess everywhere and pain and just – ughh...long story short: I had a crap day and I got sent home early."

Pythor set his water down – granted, it was nice to hear Katherine refer to herself as the idiot for once, but he wasn't feeling quite his usual superior self today – and sat down beside her.

"Let me see." He said, taking her arm. Katherine was so surprised that she actually pulled her hand away.

"Why?" she questioned, confused by his sudden concern.

Pythor tried not to roll his eyes. "Just be quiet and let me see your hand. I know how to treat burns."

But Katherine argued. "Yeah, so do I. I just need to get some ice – "

Now he rolled his eyes. "Let me rephrase, I know how to _properly _treat burns. Ice will only make the pain worse, trust me."

"Since when are you a doctor?" she questioned.

At this point Pythor wanted to slam his face against the table. He groaned in aggravation. "Oh, for the love of – I am trying to help you for once, so will you please stop arguing and just trust me? Please?"

Katherine paused on that, looking at the Anacondrai...but then she finally moved her hand towards him.

Pythor, a bit surprised that she was listening to him for once, blinked. But he still took it. "There we are –"

Suddenly, a pounding from the front door made the two jump.

"Oh, Pussycat~!" came Devon from the door.

Katherine groaned. "Great. Just when I thought this day couldn't get any worse, scum starts knocking at my door."

Pythor rumbled. "Let him knock. He'll give up and leave eventually."

But Katherine shook her head with a sigh. "I've already tried that. Devon never goes away. I just have to treat him like I'm ripping off a band-aid – the faster I get rid of him, the better."

She nodded to his room. "Go hide and lock the door." She started wrapping the bandage back around her hand. "Hopefully this won't take long..."

Pythor sighed, but he cooperated, heading to his room and clicking the lock on the door.

Just when Katherine had the bandage securely wrapped around her hand, Devon started pounding on her door once more.

"I'm coming!" Katherine called, heading to her door. She turned the deadbolt switch and opened it half way, and there was Devon, peeking in with a smirk.

She didn't return it. "What do you want, Devon?"

"Oh, nothing," he replied casually, his smirk still wide at her, "just wanted to see what you were up to. Since you're home from work early and all..."

"It was a long day at the cafe, Devon." She said, ignoring the smirk. "I'm tired and cranky, so if you don't mind – "

She was about to slam her door in his face, hoping it would send the message that she had no interest in him, but – as usual – Devon wasn't the kind of person who took no as an answer. He stopped her just before she could slam it, and then he pushed it back. He was much stronger than Katherine, so he easily overpowered her.

His smirk was still wide as he let himself in. "Aww, it sounds like my Pussycat had a bad day."

Katherine glared at him. "I did, so can you cut me some slack for once and leave? Please, Devon?"

Pythor was listening in. He could feel his footsteps from the living room. That didn't settle right with Pythor. It was clear Devon was anything but a gentleman, but the way he barged in left a bad taste in the Anacondrai's mouth...

From the living room, Devon put his hands in his pockets. "C'mon, Kat. Let's go out for a few drinks. My treat."

"No, thanks." Katherine rejected. "I don't feel like socializing." She started for her door, going to ask Devon to leave again, but he suddenly took her hand.

And of the two hands Katherine had, he had to grab the burned one.

As soon as his fingers flexed and applied pressure on the sore skin, Katherine cringed loudly from the burning sting she was feeling.

"Ah! Devon! Damn it!" she shouted, trying to pull her hand out of his grip. "That hurts!"

Devon didn't seemed bothered by this. He looked Katherine dead in the face. "Look, Kat, I'm getting real tired of you playin' hard to get. So how about you quit being so stuck up and just go out with me tonight? I'll pay for the drinks and the meal...and we come back here and make the apartment rock – "

Katherine spat right in his face, startling Devon. He let her hand go, and she backed a good few feet away from him, cradling her stinging hand.

Devon wiped her spit from his face. She saw the look on his face and realized the mistake she'd made.

He darkly chuckled, pointing at her. "That's how you wanna be, Pussycat? Fine, then I'll – "

Devon stopped mid-sentence, looking at his arm in confusion. He thought he'd felt something grab his arm...

But he had no idea how right he was – and the grip around his arm tightened. Devon shrieked as he was suddenly launched forward. He flew past Katherine and hit the base of her counter like a rag doll, shrieking out in pain.

Katherine moved to the side, her eyes wide with alarm. Devon was just as alarmed. His head had slammed against the counter, causing the world to spin. He tried to stand, clinging onto the chair and counter-top to heave himself up, moving like a drunk who had too much to drink.

"Wh-What the hell...?" he muttered, looking around for the person who threw him. But the only person in the room was Kat, and she seemed just as shocked.

But Devon didn't have a chance to register what came next. He felt himself grabbed again by the back of his collar, slamming him down on the counter top and pushed against it. He started shouting, demanding Katherine to tell him what was going on. His arms were pinned behind his back, restraining him so he couldn't struggle.

Katherine finally looked towards Pythor room. The door was open. Glancing back at Devon, it occurred to her what was happening. She then hurried to the door and opened it.

Sure enough, Devon was pulled by the invisible force. He was still restrained, trying to break free of whatever had him as he was carried across the room. Then, in a heartbeat, he was launched out the door. He slammed into the railing, catching himself so he wouldn't fall off the over it. With the wind knocked out of him again, Devon dropped to the floor like a heavy sack of potatoes.

Katherine didn't even ask if he was all right as she slammed the door and locked it. Then she turned, finding Pythor sitting at the counter. He looked winded, panting a bit. She went over to him, concerned.

Their eyes met, and at the same time they both asked each other:

"Are you all right?"

They both stopped, not wanting to cut each other off. But Pythor nodded for her to speak.

Katherine nodded, answering his question. "Yes, I'm all right...thank you."

"You're welcome." He replied, catching his breath. Then he nodded towards the sink. "Run your hand under cool water for a few minutes. Then I'll treat your burn."

She nodded and did so, running her hand under the cool water. Pythor grabbed a roll of aluminum foil, some medical tape and her bandages. Katherine sat back down beside him.

Pythor started gently wrapping the aluminum foil around her burned hand, wrapping it like a glove so she would still be able to use her fingers. There was a silence between the two...

"...Do you think it'll blister?" Katherine asked, trying to make conversation.

"It may." He replied. "But it shouldn't be bad. Burns like yours heal up in a couple days. It should sting less tomorrow."

She looked at him. "I have to admit, you're a pretty nice guy...you know, when you want to be."

Pythor glanced at her and chuckled lightly. "I would dare say you're complimenting me for once."

Katherine nodded. "I know. Surprising, right?"

Pythor set the aluminum foil down and took the bandage wrap. He started wrapping it around the aluminum foil.

"Well, I suppose it was only a matter of time. Yelling at someone everyday gets tiring after a while."

"Yeah, especially when you live with them." Katherine chuckled.

Pythor chuckled back for a few moments...and then something occurred to him:

"I...never thanked you, did I?"

Katherine tilted her head at him questioningly.

"I've never thanked you for everything you've done for me." Pythor admitted, meeting her gaze. "You...have risked so much for me, and I've barely shown you any ounce of gratitude for it. So...Ms. Katherine Briggs, I thank you for allowing me to stay here in your home. For...everything you have done to protect me."

Katherine blinked at Pythor, unable to believe what was happening. She waited to see if he was just patronizing her, but it was clear he was being genuine. He was...finally thanking her.

"Can you forgive me for such a late show of gratitude?" he asked.

"..." Katherine stared at him...and then she actually pondered, humming in thought.

Pythor gave her a look. "Seriously? You're considering it?" he asked, annoyed.

But she smirked. "Hey, you asked. After the number of headaches you've given me, it's hard not to debate on it."

"Please, don't make me want to take what I said back..." He sighed, a bit annoyed now.

Katherine chuckled at him. "Oh, don't worry. I won't let you forget it."

Pythor groaned, and Katherine's smirk never fell...but deep down he was glad to have finally thanked her. It was...nice getting along with someone. He started to think that maybe he'd been too quick to judge this woman.

She wasn't all that bad...most of the time, anyway.


End file.
